Breakdown of Ég á lyklana en þú átt bara pakka.
ég
I
þú
you
en
but
bara
just / only
lykillinn
the key
eiga
to own / to have (a relationship)
pakkinn
the package
Questions & Answers about Ég á lyklana en þú átt bara pakka.
Why is the word for the keys lyklana here?
The verb eiga (to own) requires the object to be in the accusative case. The singular word for key is lykill (masculine). In the plural, the accusative form is lykla. To say the keys, we add the definite ending -na to make lyklana.
I thought pakka meant a package in the singular. How can it mean packages here?
You are right that the singular accusative of pakki is pakka. However, for these types of masculine nouns that end in -i in the dictionary form, the plural accusative form is exactly the same: pakka. You have to rely on context to know if it means one package or multiple packages.
If I wanted to say the packages, how would I change pakka?
To make the accusative plural noun pakka definite, you add the masculine accusative plural ending -na. So it would become pakkana.
Why does this sentence use á and átt for have instead of hef and hefur?
In Icelandic, the verb eiga, which becomes á for I and átt for you, is used when you physically own or possess an object, like keys or packages. The verb hafa is usually used for abstract things, like having time, or as a helper verb.
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