Breakdown of Ég á eftir að smyrja þér brauð.
ég
I
þú
you
brauðið
the bread
eiga eftir að
to have yet to (do something)
smyrja
to butter / to make a sandwich
Questions & Answers about Ég á eftir að smyrja þér brauð.
Why is þér in the dative case here?
This is the dative of advantage. The action of making the sandwich (smyrja brauð) is being done for your benefit. Instead of using a preposition, Icelandic often just puts the beneficiary in the dative case, typically placing it right before the direct object.
Could I use a preposition instead of the dative here, like smyrja brauð fyrir þig?
Yes, you can absolutely say smyrja brauð fyrir þig, using the preposition fyrir plus the accusative. It means exactly the same thing. However, using the dative of advantage (smyrja þér brauð) is highly idiomatic, shorter, and sounds very natural in everyday speech.
Why does á eftir að translate to still need to?
The phrase eiga eftir að literally means to have left to do something. It is the standard way in Icelandic to express that you have not done something yet but intend to, or that an action is still pending on your to-do list.
Smyrja means to smear or to butter, but the translation says make a sandwich. Is this the normal way to say it?
Yes! In Icelandic, preparing a standard sandwich (which is traditionally open-faced) is referred to as smearing bread (smyrja brauð). You generally do not use the verb gera (to make) for this specific daily action.
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