Prepositions like yfir (over), undir (under), and fyrir (in front of) can describe either a static position or an active movement. When describing movement to a new place, the destination noun takes the accusative case.
Yfir (over / across)
Notice how the destination noun's definite article changes in the accusative case. Masculine and feminine endings change, while neuter nouns stay the same as in the nominative.
| Gender | Definite Nominative | Definite Accusative | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | bekkurinn (the bench) | bekkinn | yfir bekkinn (over the bench) |
| Feminine | girðingin (the fence) | girðinguna | yfir girðinguna (over the fence) |
| Neuter | hliðið (the gate) | hliðið | yfir hliðið (over the gate) |
| The horse jumps over the fence. | Hesturinn stekkur yfir girðinguna. |
| The dog runs fast over the bridge. | Hundurinn hleypur hratt yfir brúna. |
| The cat jumps over the bench. | Kötturinn stekkur yfir bekkinn. |
Undir (under)
Undir means "under". Like yfir, it takes the accusative when describing movement.
| The cat crawls under the pipe. | Kötturinn skríður undir rörið. |
| The kitten crawls under the sofa. | Kettlingurinn skríður undir sófann. |
Fyrir (in front of)
Fyrir has many uses, but with verbs of motion, it means moving "in front of" a target.
| The cat runs in front of the car. | Kötturinn hleypur fyrir bílinn. |
Combining movements
When describing an obstacle course, you will often string these verbs and prepositions together. Note that words like göngin (the tunnel) are neuter plural nouns, which also share the exact same form in both the nominative and accusative.
| The trainer crawls under the tunnel but the cat jumps over the tunnel. | Þjálfarinn skríður undir göngin en kötturinn stekkur yfir göngin. |
| The boy crawls under the pipe and the girl runs in front of the tunnel. | Strákurinn skríður undir rörið og stelpan hleypur fyrir göngin. |