In Icelandic, when expressing motion toward a physical boundary, edge, or specific target, use the preposition að (to, towards).
The Preposition að with the Dative Case
The preposition að always governs the dative case. In this lesson, you will see nouns in their definite forms.
Here is a quick reminder of the definite dative endings:
- Masculine: -num, -inum, or -anum
- Feminine: -nni or -inni
- Neuter: -nu or -inu
- Plural (all genders): -unum
Notice how að connects motion to a physical limit, such as an edge (brúnin), a riverbank (árbakkinn), or a boundary line (mörkin).
| The boy runs to the edge of the cliff. | Strákurinn hleypur að brúninni á bjarginu. |
| I find it best to walk to the riverbank. | Mér finnst best að ganga að árbakkanum. |
| The police drive to the boundary. | Lögreglan keyrir að mörkunum. |
Abstract Targets and Verbs
Beyond physical motion, að is frequently used with verbs like stefna (to aim, head) and leita (to search) to indicate an abstract target or focus. The rule remains the same: the target must take the dative case.
| She aims for the biggest cliff. | Hún stefnir að stærsta bjarginu. |
| He searches for the fringe for a long time. | Hann leitar að jaðrinum í langan tíma. |
Notice how the plural word landamærin (the border) changes to landamærunum in the dative plural:
| We head for the border for three hours. | Við stefnum að landamærunum í þrjá tíma. |
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