Breakdown of Við tókum lán fyrir íbúðinni.
við
we
taka
to take
íbúðin
the apartment
fyrir
for (fyrir þig)
lánið
the loan
Questions & Answers about Við tókum lán fyrir íbúðinni.
Why is íbúðinni in the dative case here instead of the accusative?
When the preposition fyrir relates to the purpose of acquiring something (like taking a loan for or saving up for an item), it takes the dative case. This often surprises learners because a similar action like paying for something (borga fyrir) takes the accusative case.
Why is the verb tókum spelled with an "ó"?
It comes from the verb taka (to take). Taka is a strong verb, meaning it changes its core vowel in the past tense instead of just adding a regular ending. The vowel changes from "a" to "ó", and the -um ending is added to match the subject við (we).
Is lán nominative or accusative here?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb taka. Since lán is a neuter word, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its nominative dictionary form. Because Icelandic doesn't use words for "a" or "an", lán simply translates to "a loan".
How would the sentence change if I wanted to say "We took a loan for AN apartment"?
You would swap the definite form íbúðinni (the apartment) for the indefinite form íbúð (an apartment). The sentence becomes: Við tókum lán fyrir íbúð. The word íbúð is still in the dative case here, but its indefinite dative form happens to look identical to its dictionary form.
Learn Við tókum lán fyrir íbúðinni and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free