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Icelandic

In a classroom setting, you will often need to share supplies. When you use verbs like *gefa* (to give), *lána* (to lend), *senda* (to send), *sýna* (to show), or *rétta* (to hand), the verb needs **two objects**: the person receiving the item, and the item itself.

### Dative Person, Accusative Item

In English, we say "I hand the teacher the notebook." Icelandic uses the exact same word order, but relies on cases to show who gets what:
- The **person receiving** (the indirect object) is in the **dative** case.
- The **item being transferred** (the direct object) is in the **accusative** case.

Watch how *kennarinn* (the teacher) becomes the dative *kennaranum*, while *stílabókin* (the notebook) becomes the accusative *stílabókina*:

{{item:1054319}}

The same rule applies with other verbs, like when lending something to a student (*stelpan* becomes *stelpunni*):

{{item:1054324}}

### Using Pronouns

If the person receiving the item is a pronoun, you must use its dative form. Common dative pronouns include *mér* (me), *þér* (you), *honum* (him), and *henni* (her).

{{item:1054338}}

{{item:1054340}}

### Sharing Multiple Items

If you are giving or lending more than one item, the person receiving them is still in the dative case, and all the items being transferred are in the accusative case.

{{item:1054321}}

Verbs with two objects (gefa honum bókina)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

phrase

prep

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Presentative and the definite suffix (þetta er, -inn, -in, -ið)

Singular pronouns and to be (ég er, þú ert)

Singular adjective agreement

Yes/no questions (ert þú…?)

Basic negation (ekki)

Plural pronouns and to be (við erum, þeir eru)

Group 1 weak verbs (-ar)

Group 2 and 3 verbs (-ir, -ur)

Information questions (hvað, hver, hvar)

Expressing opinions (mér finnst, mér líkar)

Expressing desires (mig langar)

Numbers 1 to 10 (einn, tveir, þrír)

Direct objects on indefinite nouns

Direct objects on definite nouns

Singular object pronouns (mig, þig...)

Plural object pronouns (okkur, ykkur...)

Directional prepositions (um, í, á)

Verb-second word order

Expressing intentions (ætla að)

Needs and wants (þurfa, vilja)

Middle voice verbs (-st)

Possessive pronouns (minn, þinn)

Dative case with prepositions (í, á, frá)

Definite dative nouns (-num, -nni, -nu)

Dative personal pronouns (honum, henni, þeim)

Plural nouns (-ar, -ir, -ur)

Definite plural nouns (-nir, -nar, -in)

Accusative plural nouns

Number agreement 1 to 4 (einn, tveir…)

Singular commands

Past tense of the verb to be (var, vorum)

Present continuous (vera að)

Strong verbs in the present tense

Weather and dummy subjects (það)

Invariable possessive pronouns (hans, hennar, þeirra)

Accusative possessives (minn, þinn)

Accompaniment (með)

Dative plural (-um, -unum)

Compound sentences (og, en, eða)

"This" in the nominative (þessi, þessi, þetta)

"This" in the accusative (þennan, þessa, þetta)

Accusative adjectives (-an, -a, -t)

Numbers 1 to 4 in the accusative (einn, tvo, þrjá)

Third-person reflexive pronouns (sig, sér)

The preposition "to" with the genitive (til)

Subordinating conjunctions (að, af því að)

Simple past of weak verbs (-aði)

Question words (hvernig, hvaða)

Physical possession (vera með)

Abstract possession (hafa)

Telling time (hálf, korter)

Plural commands (-ið)

The simple past tense (-di, -ti, -ði)

Possessive noun endings (-s, -ar)

Days of the week (á mánudaginn, á mánudögum)

Kveðjur — greetings (halló, bless)

Um mig — where I am from

Kurteisi — please, sorry, congratulations

Ability and knowing how (kunna að)

Permission (mega)

Obligation (eiga að)

Plural strong verbs

Numbers 11 to 20 (ellefu, tólf...)

Counting by tens to 100 (þrjátíu, fjörutíu...)

Ordinal numbers 1st to 10th (fyrsti, annar...)

All / everything / everyone (allur)

The indefinite pronoun someone (einhver)

The indefinite pronoun no one (enginn)

Compound numbers from 21 (tuttugu og)

This in the dative singular (þessum, þessari, þessu)

These in the dative plural (þessum)

My and your in the dative (mínum, þínum)

Numbers 1 to 4 in the dative (einum, tveimur)

Adjectives in the dative singular (-um, -ri, -u)

Adjectives in the dative plural (-um)

Reflexive possessive in the accusative (sinn, sína, sitt)

Reflexive possessive in the dative (sínum, sinni)

Reflexive versus regular possessives (sinn, hans)

Demonstrative plural (þessir, þessar, þessi)

Definite genitive singular (-sins, -arinnar)

Indefinite genitive plural (-a)

Definite genitive plural (-anna)

Genitive prepositions (án, milli, vegna)

Prepositions of direction (yfir, undir, fyrir)

Prepositions of static location (yfir, undir, fyrir)

Question	Answer
to hand	rétta
the notebook	stílabókin
I want to hand the teacher the notebook.	Ég vil rétta kennaranum stílabókina.
the calculator	vasareiknirinn
He often lends me the notebook and the calculator.	Hann lánar mér oft stílabókina og vasareikninn.
the ruler	reglustikan
I want to hand the boy this ruler.	Mig langar að rétta stráknum þessa reglustiku.
We always lend the girl the ruler.	Við lánum stelpunni alltaf reglustikuna.
the stapler	heftarinn
She sometimes gives the man the stapler.	Hún gefur manninum stundum heftarann.
the eraser	strokleðrið
Do you want to lend me the stapler and the eraser?	Vilt þú lána mér heftarann og strokleðrið?
We send the boy this calculator.	Við sendum stráknum þennan vasareikni.
the sharpener	yddarinn
I know how to show the student the sharpener.	Ég kann að sýna nemandanum yddarann.
the schoolbag	skólataskan
The teacher often shows the student the sharpener and the schoolbag.	Kennarinn sýnir nemandanum oft yddarann og skólatöskuna.
the glue	límið
They never give the girl the glue.	Þau gefa stelpunni aldrei límið.
The girl knows how to send him the glue.	Stelpan kann að senda honum límið.
the pencil case	pennaveskið
He always gives me this pencil case.	Hann gefur mér alltaf þetta pennaveski.
I want to show you the schoolbag and the pencil case.	Mig langar að sýna þér skólatöskuna og pennaveskið.
I always hand her the eraser.	Ég rétti henni alltaf strokleðrið.