Breakdown of Ég þarf að telja fötin á lagernum.
ég
I
að
to (infinitive marker)
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
þurfa
to need
Questions & Answers about Ég þarf að telja fötin á lagernum.
Since the lesson is about counting plural-only nouns, how would I say "one set of clothes" if I am counting them here?
The word föt (clothes) is a plural-only noun (pluralia tantum). To count it, you use the distributive numerals from this lesson. Since föt is neuter, "one set of clothes" would be ein föt (using the neuter plural of einir), and "two sets of clothes" would be tvenn föt.
What case is fötin in this sentence?
Fötin is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb telja (to count). It is made up of the neuter plural noun föt (clothes) plus the definite article -in, meaning "the clothes".
Why do we use the preposition á instead of í for "in the stockroom"?
The word lager (stockroom, warehouse, or inventory) conventionally takes the preposition á rather than í to describe being located there. Because it describes a static location (where the clothes currently are), á triggers the dative case, giving us lagernum.
Does telja just mean "to count" numbers?
Here it means "to count" physical objects. However, at this level, it is good to remember that telja is also very commonly used to mean "to believe" or "to consider," similar to saying "I count that as a success" in English.