Breakdown of Ég ætla að læra í vinnunni.
ég
I
læra
to study
að
to (infinitive marker)
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
ætla
to intend
vinnan
the work
Questions & Answers about Ég ætla að læra í vinnunni.
Why does the word vinna change to vinnunni here?
Because of the preposition í showing location, the noun needs to be in the dative case. The feminine noun vinna (work) changes to vinnu in the dative. Then, because it is definite ("the work"), we add the feminine dative definite ending -nni, resulting in vinnunni.
The English translation says "at work", but doesn't vinnunni mean "the work"?
Exactly! In Icelandic, it's very common to use the definite form for everyday places like work or school. While English drops the word "the" to say "at work," Icelandic literally says "in the work".
Why do we use the preposition í instead of something that means "at"?
Prepositions rarely translate perfectly between languages! In Icelandic, you generally use í (which normally means "in") when talking about being at your job or workplace.
Can Ég ætla að læra also mean "I am going to study"?
Yes, absolutely. The verb ætla literally means "to intend," but it is the standard way to talk about your future plans in Icelandic. Translating it as "I am going to" often sounds more natural in everyday English.
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