The dative plural is one of the most predictable rules in Icelandic. Regardless of a noun's gender, the dative plural endings are universal:
- Bare (indefinite): -um
- Definite: -unum
You will use the dative case frequently after prepositions of location and origin, such as á (on/in), undir (under), hjá (next to), úr (out of), and af (off).
Bare Nouns (-um)
Use -um for indefinite groups of objects or people (like "pillows" or "shelves").
| The cat is sleeping on pillows. | Kötturinn er að sofa á koddum. |
| I never drink from glasses. | Ég drekk aldrei úr glösum. |
| The boy takes the toys off shelves. | Strákurinn tekur leikföngin af hillum. |
Definite Nouns (-unum)
Use -unum for specific, definite groups (like "the pillows" or "the shelves"). Compare these to the examples above:
| The dog sleeps on the pillows. | Hundurinn sefur á koddunum. |
| The teacher sits next to the kids. | Kennarinn situr hjá krökkunum. |
| He takes the plates off the shelves. | Hann tekur diskana af hillunum. |
| They are coming out of the shops. | Þau koma úr búðunum. |
Combining Phrases
Because this rule applies predictably across all noun genders, stacking multiple descriptive phrases is straightforward.
| The books and the pens are on the desks under the lamps. | Bækurnar og pennarnir eru á skrifborðunum undir lömpunum. |
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