Breakdown of Ég spenni alltaf beltið í bílnum.
bíllinn
the car
ég
I
alltaf
always
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
beltið
the belt
spenna
to fasten (a belt), to tense
Questions & Answers about Ég spenni alltaf beltið í bílnum.
Why does alltaf come before beltið instead of before the verb like in English?
The preposition í can take either the accusative or dative case. Why is bílnum in the dative case here?
When í (in) describes a stationary position or location, it takes the dative case. Because you are already sitting inside the car when you fasten the belt, bílnum is dative. If the sentence described movement into the car, í would take the accusative case (í bílinn).
What case is beltið in this sentence?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb spenna (to fasten). Because the word belti is a neuter noun, its nominative and accusative forms are identical, which is why the definite form is beltið in both instances.
Why does the sentence just say beltið (the belt) rather than using a possessive pronoun like my belt?
In Icelandic, when talking about clothing, body parts, or items that clearly belong to you in context, you usually just use the definite article rather than a possessive pronoun. Saying beltið sounds much more natural here than adding mitt (my).
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