Prepositions

[ Adjectives | Adverbs | The Definite Article | Conjunctions ]

[ Nouns | Numbers | Prepositions | Pronouns | Verbs | Front Page ]




Prepositions Governing the Accusative.



Prepositions Governing the Dative.

Back to the Top.



Prepositions Governing the Accusative or Dative.

The following prepositions may govern the Accusative or Dative case. Usually the Accusative is associated with motion or a change of state, while the Dative is associated with situation.

Back to the Top.



Prepositions Governing the Genitive.

NOTE: When preceded by fyrir, these prepositions require the Accusative case.

Back to the Top.



Prepositional Phrases.

There are eleven principle and very common prepositions in Icelandic:

á, , af, eftir, frá, fyrir, í, með, til, um, and við.

This section gives some examples of their use.

Back to the Top.


Á

Á can take either the Accusative of the Dative case, usually depending on whether motion or a change of state is involved, e.g.

Back to Prepositional Phrases.


takes only the Dative case.

Back to Prepositional Phrases.


Af

Af takes only the Dative case.

Back to Prepositional Phrases.


Eftir

Eftir takes the Accusative case in a temporal context and also when it refers to something done or left by somebody. Otherwise the Dative is indicated. The third group listed here gives some adverbial expressions which use eftir.

Back to Prepositional Phrases.


Frá

Frá takes the Dative case. The second group listed here gives some adverbial expressions which use frá.

Back to Prepositional Phrases.


Fyrir

Fyrir takes the Dative or the Accusative case. With the Dative case, fyrir tends to have the meanings before, infront of; for or because of:

With the Accusative case, fyrir has the sense of for, on behalf of; for, on account of, and instead of:

Back to Prepositional Phrases.


Í

Í takes the Dative or the Accusative case and usually means in or into, depending on whether motion is involved. With the Dative case, í means in (a place, a state, etc.) with no sense of change:

With the Accusative case, í carries the sense of motion or change of state:

The following expressions are very common:

Back to Prepositional Phrases.


Með

Með takes the Dative or the Accusative case and usually means with. Examples of its use with the Dative case:

With the Accusative case, með has the meaning of keeping or bringing something:

Back to Prepositional Phrases.


Til

Til takes the Genitive case and usually means to/towards or till/until. Some examples of its use:

Back to Prepositional Phrases.


Um

Um takes the Accusative case and may have many meanings: about, around, of; across over; during, by for, at (time). Some examples of its use:

Back to Prepositional Phrases.


Við

Við takes the either the Accusative or the Dative case. Here are some examples of the use of Við with the Accusative case, where it usually means at, next to, near, with:

Back to Prepositional Phrases.


Back to the Top.