Breakdown of Eftir viku ætla ég að sauma kraga sem er tíu sentímetra á breidd.
vera
to be
ég
I
að
to (infinitive marker)
tíu
ten
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
ætla
to intend
vikan
the week (f)
eftir
after / for (waiting for)
sentímetrinn
the centimeter
sem
who / which / that
sauma
to sew
breiddin
the width
kraginn
the collar
Questions & Answers about Eftir viku ætla ég að sauma kraga sem er tíu sentímetra á breidd.
Why do we use á breidd to say "in width", and what case is breidd?
This is the standard Icelandic formula for expressing physical dimensions. You use the preposition á followed by the dimension noun in the accusative case. breidd (width) is a feminine noun whose accusative form is identical to its nominative. You will see the exact same pattern for á lengd (in length) and á hæð (in height).
Why is the measurement tíu sentímetra (genitive) instead of tíu sentímetrar (nominative)?
This uses a structure called the "genitive of measure." When stating the size, dimension, or age of something with the verb að vera (to be), the measurement itself is put into the genitive case. While the number tíu doesn't change form, the masculine noun sentímetri takes its genitive plural form, sentímetra. Literally, you are saying the collar is "of ten centimeters in width."
The translation says "In a week", so why does the Icelandic use Eftir (which usually means "after")?
When referring to a specific point in the future (e.g., "in a week from now"), Icelandic uses eftir followed by the dative case (viku). A common trap for learners is trying to use í here. If you said í viku, it would imply duration—meaning the actual action of sewing would take a whole week to complete.
Why is the word order ætla ég rather than ég ætla?
This is the V2 (verb-second) rule in action. Because the sentence kicks off with the time phrase Eftir viku, that entire phrase counts as the first "slot" in the sentence. The conjugated verb (ætla) must take the second slot, forcing the subject (ég) to swap places and come right after the verb.
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