Breakdown of Mig langar að kaupa eplin.
kaupa
to buy
mig
me (acc)
langa
to want
að
to (infinitive marker)
eplið
the apple
Questions & Answers about Mig langar að kaupa eplin.
Why does the sentence start with Mig instead of Ég?
The verb langa (to want) is an "impersonal verb." This means the person wanting something isn't in the usual subject case (nominative), but rather in the accusative case. So, instead of ég (I), we must use the accusative form mig. It translates somewhat literally to "it longs me."
Why is the word for "apples" in the accusative case here?
The apples are the direct object of the verb kaupa (to buy). In Icelandic, the thing that is being bought or directly acted upon usually takes the accusative case.
How do we form the definite plural eplin (the apples) from the basic word epli (apple)?
Epli is a neuter noun. For many neuter nouns, the accusative plural looks exactly the same as the singular: epli (apples). To make it definite ("the apples"), we attach the neuter plural definite ending -n, giving us eplin.
What is the function of að before kaupa?
The word að acts as the infinitive marker, just like "to" in the English phrase "to buy." When you follow a main verb like langar with another action, that second verb stays in its basic infinitive form, preceded by að.
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