Í fjórða skrefi festir þú hjarirnar á hurðina.
In the fourth step, you attach the hinges to the door.
Breakdown of Í fjórða skrefi festir þú hjarirnar á hurðina.
þú
you
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
hurðin
the door
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
fjórði
fourth
skrefið
the step
festa
to attach
hjörin
the hinge
Questions & Answers about Í fjórða skrefi festir þú hjarirnar á hurðina.
The lesson covers phrases like í fyrsta lagi. Why does this sentence use í fjórða skrefi instead of í fjórða lagi?
The phrase í fjórða lagi means "fourthly" and is used to structure abstract points in an argument or discourse. Here, we are talking about a literal sequence of physical instructions, so it translates directly to "in the fourth step." The word skrefi is the dative form of the neuter noun skref (step).
Why is the ordinal number fjórða in the dative case?
The preposition í governs the dative case here because it refers to a fixed position within an abstract sequence, rather than physical movement into something. Both the ordinal fjórða and the noun skrefi must match in the dative neuter singular.
Why is the word order festir þú rather than þú festir?
What is the singular form of hjarirnar (the hinges) and why does the vowel change?
The singular indefinite form is hjör (a feminine noun). When it becomes plural (hjarir), the root vowel changes from ö to a. This is a normal pattern for certain feminine nouns, similar to how vör (lip) becomes varir. In this sentence, it has the accusative plural definite article -nar attached.
Why does the preposition á take the accusative case (hurðina) here instead of the dative?
The preposition á takes the accusative when it indicates motion or action directed onto a destination. Because you are actively moving and attaching the hinges onto the door, it triggers the accusative. If you were describing hinges that were already attached and just resting there, you would use the dative (á hurðinni).
Learn Í fjórða skrefi festir þú hjarirnar á hurðina 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