Breakdown of Ég fer í sjúkraþjálfun þrisvar í mánuði.
ég
I
fara
to go
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
mánuðurinn
the month
þrisvar
three times
sjúkraþjálfunin
the physical therapy
Questions & Answers about Ég fer í sjúkraþjálfun þrisvar í mánuði.
Why do we use í in í mánuði to mean "a month"?
In Icelandic, we use specific prepositions for different time periods when talking about frequency. You use í for weeks and months (í viku, í mánuði), but you must use á for days and years (á dag, á ári).
Does þrisvar literally translate to "three times"?
Yes, it is a specific adverb meaning "three times". Icelandic has special words for the first three frequencies: einu sinni (once), tvisvar (twice), and þrisvar (three times). For four times or more, you generally just use the dative number plus the word sinnum (times), like fjórum sinnum.
Why does the dictionary word mánuður change to mánuði in this sentence?
The preposition í in time frequency expressions forces the time period into the dative case. For the masculine word mánuður, the -ur ending changes to an -i ending in the dative.
There are two í's in this sentence. Do they follow the same grammar rules?
No! The first one, í sjúkraþjálfun, is about moving toward a destination (going to physical therapy), so it takes the accusative case. The second one, í mánuði, is a time expression, which takes the dative case here. It is very common to see the same preposition doing two different grammatical jobs in a single sentence.
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