Breakdown of Fósturfjölskyldan kaupir ný rúmföt í gestaherbergið.
nýr
new
kaupa
to buy
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
fósturfjölskyldan
the host family
gestaherbergið
the guest room
rúmfötin
the bedclothes
Questions & Answers about Fósturfjölskyldan kaupir ný rúmföt í gestaherbergið.
Why is gestaherbergið in the accusative case here instead of the dative?
The preposition í takes the accusative case when it shows movement, direction, or purpose (like buying something to go into a room). If the bedclothes were already resting in the room, you would use the dative case (í gestaherberginu).
How is the word fósturfjölskyldan built, and how does it relate to this lesson?
It is a compound word made of fóstur (foster) and fjölskylda (family), plus the attached definite article -n to mean the host family. Since you are learning about the preposition hjá, it is useful to know that staying with a host family is expressed as staying hjá fósturfjölskyldu (where hjá forces the dative case).
Why does the adjective ný (new) look like it doesn't have an ending?
It actually is the correct form for this specific gender and number! The word rúmföt (bedclothes) is a neuter plural word. For neuter plural nouns in the accusative case, the adjective form of nýr is simply ný.
If gestaherbergið means guest room, why does it start with gesta- instead of just gestur?
Is rúmföt always plural?
Yes! Just like the English word clothes, the Icelandic base word föt is always plural. Because of this, it takes plural adjectives like ný, even if you are just talking about one set of bed linens.
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