To describe opposing sides of a space, Icelandic uses the correlative phrase öðru megin... hinum megin (on one side... on the other side).
When specifying the landmark that divides the space (like a table or a net), you have two options:
- Follow megin directly with the landmark in the genitive case.
- Add the preposition við followed by the landmark in the accusative case.
Here is the first option, using the genitive case for the table (borðsins):
| Jón is on one side of the table and the opponent is on the other side. | Jón er öðru megin borðsins og andstæðingurinn er hinum megin. |
And here is the second option, using the preposition við with the net (netið):
| When we played table tennis, he stood on one side of the net. | Þegar við spiluðum borðtennisinn stóð hann öðru megin við netið. |
Both structures are common and natural for describing where the action takes place:
| The opponent dropped his paddle on one side of the table. | Andstæðingurinn missti spaðann sinn öðru megin borðsins. |
| After his stroke, the ball landed on the other side of the net. | Eftir höggið hans lenti boltinn hinum megin við netið. |
| The swing was fast but the shot landed on the other side of the table. | Sveiflan var hröð en skotið lenti hinum megin borðsins. |
Standalone Usage
If the dividing landmark is already obvious from the context, you do not need to state it. You can simply use öðru megin and hinum megin as standalone adverbs:
| The quickness was great on one side, but on the other side it was little. | Snerpan var mikil öðru megin, en hinum megin var hún lítil. |
You can also state the location explicitly on the first side, and leave it safely implied on the second half of the sentence:
| Their match was on one side of the garden, but ours was on the other side. | Viðureignin þeirra var öðru megin garðsins, en okkar var hinum megin. |