Breakdown of Andstæðingurinn missti spaðann sinn öðru megin borðsins.
borðið
the table
annar
other, another; second
sinn
his/her/their own (sinn, sína, sitt)
missa
to lose, to drop
megin
side (in spatial phrases)
andstæðingurinn
the opponent (m)
spaðinn
the paddle (m)
Questions & Answers about Andstæðingurinn missti spaðann sinn öðru megin borðsins.
Why is borðsins in the genitive case here?
The phrase öðru megin (on one side) acts as a preposition that directly governs the genitive case when a noun follows it. Therefore, borðið (the table) takes the definite genitive form borðsins (of the table).
The lesson teaches öðru megin... hinum megin, but hinum megin isn't in this sentence. Can you use just half of the phrase?
Yes! While they often appear as a pair to contrast two opposite sides, you can use öðru megin completely on its own when you only need to specify that something happened on one particular side.
Why is the word for 'one/other' in the dative form öðru in this phrase?
The word megin is a frozen grammatical form that historically comes from a dative plural noun meaning 'ways' or 'sides'. Because it functions as an old dative phrase, any adjective modifying it, like annar (other/one), must also be in the dative case, becoming öðru.
Why does missti translate to 'dropped' instead of 'lost' or 'missed'?
While missa frequently means 'to lose' (such as a game, an opportunity, or a loved one), it is also the standard, most natural verb in Icelandic for accidentally dropping a physical object out of your hands.
Just as a refresher, why use sinn instead of hans for 'his paddle'?
sinn is the reflexive possessive pronoun. It points back to the subject of the sentence (andstæðingurinn), showing that he dropped his own paddle. If you used hans here, it would mean he dropped a paddle belonging to some other male.
Learn Andstæðingurinn missti spaðann sinn öðru megin borðsins 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