In Icelandic, certain verbs are tightly bound to specific prepositions. When you use these verb-preposition pairs, the preposition dictates the grammatical case of the noun that follows it.
Waiting and Worrying (Dative)
The verb bíða (to wait) pairs with the preposition eftir (for). Similarly, kvíða (to be anxious about) pairs with fyrir (about/before). In these contexts, both eftir and fyrir force the following noun into the dative case.
Let's look at how these work, alongside the useful adjective þolinmóður (patient).
| I am waiting for the mail. | Ég er að bíða eftir póstinum. |
| The man is patient and waits for the visit. | Maðurinn er þolinmóður og bíður eftir heimsókninni. |
| We are waiting for the mail but we are anxious about the results. | Við bíðum eftir póstinum en við kvíðum fyrir úrslitunum. |
Looking Forward (Genitive)
When you want to say you are looking forward to an upcoming event, you use hlakka til. The preposition til is a strict word in Icelandic: it always forces the following noun into the genitive case.
Here it is paired with the adjective spenntur (excited). Notice how the nouns jólin (the Christmas) and heimsóknin (the visit) change to their genitive forms (jólanna and heimsóknarinnar).
| The boy is excited and looks forward to Christmas. | Strákurinn er spenntur og hlakkar til jólanna. |
| Are you looking forward to the visit tomorrow? | Hlakkar þú til heimsóknarinnar á morgun? |
Looking Forward to an Action
If you are looking forward to doing something rather than looking forward to a thing, the rules are much simpler. You don't need to worry about noun cases at all. Instead, just follow the preposition with the word að and the infinitive form of the verb.
| I am looking forward to opening the gift at Christmas. | Ég hlakka til að opna gjöfina um jólin. |
