Breakdown of Í fyrsta lagi ætlum við að setja kommóðuna saman.
saman
together / on end (after a dative plural time noun)
við
we
að
to (infinitive marker)
ætla
to intend
setja
to put
í fyrsta lagi
firstly
kommóðan
the chest of drawers
Questions & Answers about Í fyrsta lagi ætlum við að setja kommóðuna saman.
Why is the word lagi used in the phrase í fyrsta lagi?
Lagi is the dative singular form of the neuter noun lag, which can mean a layer, shape, or manner. When combining the preposition í with a dative neuter ordinal number (like fyrsta) and lagi, it creates a fixed adverbial phrase for structuring your points, translating directly to firstly.
Why does the verb ætlum come before the subject við?
Icelandic strictly follows the V2 (verb-second) rule. Because the sentence starts with the entire adverbial phrase Í fyrsta lagi (which occupies the first grammatical slot), the finite verb ætlum must immediately follow it, pushing the subject við into the third position.
Why are setja and saman separated by kommóðuna?
The phrase að setja saman (to assemble or put together) acts as a separable phrasal verb. When the object of this action is a definite noun like kommóðuna (the chest of drawers), it typically gets placed between the main verb and the adverb.
What case is kommóðuna in this sentence?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object being acted upon by the verb setja. Since it is the definite form of the weak feminine noun kommóða, the accusative ending -u combines with the definite article -na to become kommóðuna.
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