Question 1

Why do we use þessu here instead of þetta?

Accepted Answer

The preposition á (on) triggers the dative case when you are talking about a fixed location. Because the noun torg (square) is a neuter word, the demonstrative pronoun changes to the neuter dative form, which is þessu.

Question 2

Why does torg have an -i at the end?

Accepted Answer

The -i is a very common ending for neuter nouns in the dative case. Since the preposition á requires the dative here, torg becomes torgi.

Question 3

Does the preposition á always take the dative case?

Accepted Answer

Not always! When á means being in or on a fixed location (like being located on a square), it takes the dative. If it describes motion or direction onto something, it takes the accusative. Here, the museum is simply located on the square, so we use the dative.

Question 4

Why isn't there a 'the' attached to torgi, like there is in safnið?

Accepted Answer

In Icelandic, when you use a demonstrative word like þessu (this), the noun that follows usually drops the definite article. That is why it is just á þessu torgi and not á þessu torgið. Meanwhile, safnið stands alone as 'the museum', so it keeps its attached article -ið.

Question 5

What case is safnið in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object (the thing being found). For neuter words like safn, the accusative form looks exactly the same as the nominative (dictionary) form.

Þú finnur safnið á þessu torgi.

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