Breakdown of Ég nota orðabókina í skólanum.
ég
I
skólinn
the school
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
nota
to use
orðabókin
the dictionary
Questions & Answers about Ég nota orðabókina í skólanum.
Why is it orðabókina and not just orðabókin?
The verb nota (to use) requires its object to be in the accusative case. Orðabók (dictionary) is a feminine noun. The definite nominative form (used for a subject) is orðabókin, but because the dictionary is the object being used here, it takes the accusative definite ending, becoming orðabókina.
Is orðabók a compound word?
Yes! It is made of orð (word) and bók (book), literally translating to "word-book". In Icelandic, compound nouns always take the gender and grammar rules of their final part. Since bók is a feminine noun, orðabók is also feminine and changes its endings exactly like bók does.
Why do we use the dative form skólanum after the preposition í?
The preposition í (in/at) can take either the accusative or dative case. When you are talking about a static location—where something is happening without movement to a new place—you use the dative. Since you are stationary at the school while using the dictionary, skóli becomes the dative definite skólanum. If you were moving to school, you would use the accusative case.
The English translation is "at school", but skólanum has the definite article attached. Why?
In English, we usually drop the word "the" in set phrases like "at school" or "at work". Icelandic prefers to keep the definite article for these everyday locations. So, Icelanders say í skólanum (literally "in the school") and í vinnunni ("in the work").
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