Breakdown of Þú getur skilið töskuna eftir í farangursgeymslunni.
þú
you
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
taskan
the bag
geta
to be able to
skilja eftir
to leave
farangursgeymslan
the luggage room
Questions & Answers about Þú getur skilið töskuna eftir í farangursgeymslunni.
Why is there an -s- in the middle of farangursgeymslunni?
This is a compound noun combining farangur (luggage) and geymsla (storage). To link them, the first word is put into the genitive (possessive) case, which adds the -s suffix. It literally translates to storage of luggage.
Why do we use skilið instead of the infinitive skilja after getur?
The verb geta (can, to be able to) is unique because it forces the verb that follows it into the supine form (sagnbót), rather than the infinitive. The supine usually looks exactly like the neuter singular past participle, which is why we use skilið here.
Why are skilið and eftir separated by the word töskuna?
The phrase is skilja eftir (to leave behind). Just like in English where you can say leave the bag behind, Icelandic often places the object (töskuna) right in the middle of the verb and its attached particle or adverb.
The preposition í can take either the accusative or dative case. Why is farangursgeymslunni in the dative here?
We use the dative case with í because the bag is resting in a stationary location. If the sentence described the action of moving the bag into the room from outside, í would take the accusative case to show destination.
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