Relative Locations: fyrir ...-an
To describe where a geographical feature or object is relative to another (like "north of" or "inside"), Icelandic uses a combination of the word fyrir, a directional adverb ending in -an, and the landmark in the accusative case.
For the compass directions, the adverbs are:
- norðan (north)
- sunnan (south)
- austan (east)
- vestan (west)
So, to say "north of the mountain", you use fyrir norðan followed by the accusative form of "the mountain" (fjallið).
| The village is north of the mountain. | Þorpið er fyrir norðan fjallið. |
| The town is south of the village. | Bærinn er fyrir sunnan þorpið. |
| This school is west of the fjord. | Þessi skóli er fyrir vestan fjörðinn. |
Other Spatial Adverbs
This exact same pattern applies to other relative positions, such as below, inside, and outside.
- neðan (below)
- innan (inside)
- utan (outside)
| The road lies below the village. | Vegurinn liggur fyrir neðan þorpið. |
| The dog walked inside the fence. | Hundurinn labbaði fyrir innan girðinguna. |
| The boat sails outside the peninsula. | Báturinn siglir fyrir utan skagann. |
Location and Motion
You can use these phrases to describe static locations (where something is) as well as locations of action (where someone is driving, walking, or parking). Notice that the landmark following the adverb is always in the accusative case, regardless of the verb.
| My father lives north of the fjord. | Faðir minn býr fyrir norðan fjörðinn. |
| Is the forest east or west of the mountain? | Er skógurinn fyrir austan eða vestan fjallið? |
| You are not allowed to park inside the gate. | Þið megið ekki leggja fyrir innan hliðið. |
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