Breakdown of Við getum kafað í sundlauginni.
við
we
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
sundlaugin
the swimming pool
geta
to be able to
kafa
to dive
Questions & Answers about Við getum kafað í sundlauginni.
Why is the verb for dive kafað instead of the infinitive kafa?
This is the special rule for the verb geta (can/to be able to). Unlike other helper verbs that use the infinitive, geta must be followed by the supine form of the main verb. The supine is the same form you use after the verb to have. For kafa, the supine is kafað.
Why does geta change to getum?
Getum is the present tense form for við (we). A very handy rule in Icelandic is that whenever the subject is við, the active verb almost always ends in -um.
Why is sundlauginni in the dative case here?
The preposition í (in) takes the dative case when it describes a stationary location (where something is happening). If we were jumping into the pool from the outside, it would take the accusative case to show movement, but here it simply describes the location where the diving takes place.
What are the parts that make up the word sundlauginni?
It is a compound word made of sund (swimming) and laug (pool). The -inni at the end is the attached definite article meaning the, matching the feminine singular dative form.
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