Word
Þeir panta alltaf sama aðalréttinn.
Meaning
They always order the same main course.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Þeir panta alltaf sama aðalréttinn.
þeir
they (m)
alltaf
always
panta
to order
sami
the same (masculine, sister forms: sama, sömu)
Questions & Answers about Þeir panta alltaf sama aðalréttinn.
Why does sama translate to "the same" even though there is no separate word for "the" before it?
The word sami (same) acts a bit like a definite article itself. In Icelandic, you don't use a separate free-standing word for "the" before it. Instead, sami is always used in its weak declension form, and the noun that follows it usually takes the attached definite article, just like in aðalréttinn (the main course).
Why is the word for "same" written as sama here instead of sami?
It is in the accusative case because it describes the direct object receiving the action of the verb panta (to order). Because sami always uses weak adjective endings, the masculine accusative singular form becomes sama.
How can I tell that aðalréttinn is in the accusative case here?
The base word is réttur (a dish or course), which is a masculine noun. In the nominative definite, it would be aðalrétturinn. Because it is the direct object, the -ur ending drops in the accusative, leaving aðalrétt. Then the masculine accusative definite article -inn is added, giving us aðalréttinn.
Why does alltaf come between the verb and the object?