Breakdown of Ég er ekki búinn að kaupa úlpu fyrir veturinn.
vera
to be
ég
I
ekki
not
kaupa
to buy
að
to (infinitive marker)
úlpan
the winter coat
fyrir
for (fyrir þig)
búinn
finished
veturinn
the winter
Questions & Answers about Ég er ekki búinn að kaupa úlpu fyrir veturinn.
The English translation says 'for the winter', but we usually just say 'for winter' in English. Do I always need the definite article in Icelandic?
Yes, when talking about the seasons as a general time frame (like 'for the winter' or 'during the summer'), Icelandic strongly prefers the definite form. So you use veturinn instead of just vetur.
What case is veturinn in here, and why?
It is in the accusative case. The preposition fyrir can take either the accusative or the dative case. When it means 'for' an intended time, purpose, or recipient (like buying a coat for the winter), it takes the accusative.
Why use er ekki búinn að kaupa instead of hef ekki keypt for 'have not bought'?
While both translate to 'have not bought', Icelandic frequently uses vera búinn að (to be finished/done) plus the infinitive for completed actions that have a clear result in the present. It is the most natural, everyday way to say 'I have (already) done something' or 'I haven't done something (yet)'.
Does búinn change depending on who is speaking?
Yes! Because búinn is actually an adjective meaning 'finished', it must match the gender of the speaker. A male speaker says Ég er ekki búinn, while a female speaker says Ég er ekki búin (with one n), and someone using gender-neutral agreement says Ég er ekki búið.
Why is it úlpu instead of the dictionary form úlpa?
The verb kaupa (to buy) takes a direct object in the accusative case. Úlpa (parka) is a weak feminine noun, and these nouns always change their ending from -a to -u in the accusative case.
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