Questions & Answers about Ég datt óvart úti í gær.
What is the infinitive form of datt, and why doesn't it have a past-tense ending?
It comes from the verb detta (to fall). Because detta is a strong verb, it doesn't add a typical past-tense ending like '-ði' or '-ti'. Instead, it changes its core vowel. Here, the 'e' in detta changes to 'a' to become datt (I fell).
If the subject was 'he' or 'she', would datt change?
No, it stays exactly the same! A handy rule for strong verbs in the simple past tense is that the first person (ég) and third person (hann, hún, það) singular forms are identical. So 'he fell' is simply hann datt.
Why do we use úti here instead of út?
In Icelandic, words for directions change depending on whether you are moving somewhere or already there. Út implies motion (going outside), while úti implies a static location (already being outside). Since the falling happened while you were already outdoors, we use úti.
How does óvart mean 'accidentally'?
It is an adverb built from the negative prefix ó- (meaning 'un-' or 'not') and vart (aware or expecting). So literally, doing something óvart means doing it without being aware or without expecting to.