Breakdown of Ég nota alltaf maskarann og varalitinn.
og
and
ég
I
alltaf
always
nota
to use
varaliturinn
the lipstick
maskarinn
the mascara
Questions & Answers about Ég nota alltaf maskarann og varalitinn.
Why doesn't this sentence use a word for "my" before the makeup items?
In Icelandic, it is very common to drop possessive pronouns (like minn for "my") when talking about personal items like makeup, clothes, or body parts. Instead of saying "my mascara", you just use the definite article ("the mascara")—so maskarann instead of maskarann minn. Since the subject is Ég (I), the context makes it obvious whose makeup is being used! This replaces the need for a reflexive possessive in this context.
Why are the words for mascara and lipstick in the accusative case here?
They are the direct objects of the verb nota (to use). In Icelandic, the verb nota always forces the thing being used into the accusative case.
How do we build the word varalitinn from its dictionary form?
The base word is varalitur (lipstick), which is a masculine noun. In the accusative case, the -ur ending drops to leave varalit. Then, we add the masculine accusative definite article ending -inn (meaning "the"), giving us varalitinn.
What does the word varalitur literally translate to?
It is a compound word made of vara (the plural "of the lips" form of vör) and litur (color). So, lipstick in Icelandic is quite literally "lip-color"!
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