Breakdown of Takk fyrir matinn!
maturinn
the food
takk fyrir
thank you for (as in "thanks for the food")
Questions & Answers about Takk fyrir matinn!
When exactly do I say this phrase in Iceland?
You say Takk fyrir matinn right after you finish eating a meal that someone else prepared or bought for you. It is a very common and expected habit in Iceland to say this to the host or cook when leaving the table.
The dictionary says the word for food is matur. Why does it end in -inn here?
In Icelandic, the word for 'the' is attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word before it. The ending -inn here means 'the', so you are literally saying 'Thanks for the food'.
Why is the base of the word mat instead of matur before adding the -inn ending?
The preposition fyrir (for) forces the following noun to change its form into what is called the accusative case. For the masculine word matur, the accusative form drops the '-ur' to become just mat. When you add the ending for 'the' to that, it becomes matinn.
Can I use Takk fyrir to thank people for other things?
Yes! Takk fyrir is the standard way to say 'thanks for' something. You can pair it with other nouns, like Takk fyrir kaffið (Thanks for the coffee) or Takk fyrir hjálpina (Thanks for the help).
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