The preposition með is highly versatile. When describing the tool used to perform an action, or the means of transportation used for a journey, the following noun takes the dative case.
Working with Tools
In Icelandic, you express doing something "with" a tool using með followed by the dative. Notice how the nouns below take their dative definite endings (like hamrinum for "the hammer").
| The carpenter builds the house with the hammer and the nail. | Smiðurinn byggir húsið með hamrinum og naglanum. |
| I fix the chair with the screwdriver and the saw. | Ég laga stólinn með skrúfjárninu og söginni. |
| I make the hole with the drill to put the picture on the wall. | Ég geri gatið með borvélinni til að setja myndina á vegginn. |
Means of Transportation
While English uses "by" for vehicles (like "by train" or "by taxi"), Icelandic uses með followed by the dative.
| Do you know whether she went by taxi or by train? | Veistu hvort hún fór með leigubíl eða lest? |
| The tourist came here by ferry but went home by taxi. | Ferðamaðurinn kom hingað með ferju en fór heim með leigubíl. |
| I always find it fun to travel by train. | Mér finnst alltaf skemmtilegt að ferðast með lest. |
Whether you are fixing a chair or traveling across the country, með + dative explains how you get the job done.
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