eftir
After and by (Eftir)
eftir matinn (after the meal) and lag eftir hana (a song by her) use the accusative. Ég bíð eftir þér (I'm waiting for you) uses the dative.
How It Works
eftir + accusative
- After in time: eftir matinn (after the meal), eftir helgina (after the weekend), eftir hádegi (in the afternoon). eftir viku means "in a week's time" (see í tvö ár/eftir viku).
- By a creator: bók eftir Laxness (a book by Laxness), Lagið er eftir hana (The song is by her).
eftir + dative
- With certain verbs (verbs with fixed prepositions): Ég bíð eftir þér (I'm waiting for you), Manstu eftir mér? (Do you remember me? See muna), Ég tók ekki eftir því (I didn't notice it).
- Along: Við gengum eftir götunni (We walked along the street).
- á eftir means behind or after in order: Hún kom á eftir mér (She came after me).
Before a clause. To say "after something happened", use eftir að: eftir að ég kom heim (after I came home).
On its own. As an adverb, eftir means "left": Er eitthvað eftir? (Is there anything left?). á eftir can also mean "later": Sjáumst á eftir! (See you later!)
Examples (6)
- Eftir matinn fórum við í göngutúr.
After the meal we went for a walk.
Word by Word: After the food went we in walk.
matinn is accusative: eftir means after in time.
- Ég bíð eftir þér fyrir utan.
I'll wait for you outside.
Word by Word: I wait after you for outside.
bíða eftir takes the dative: þér.
- Þetta lag er eftir hana.
This song is by her.
For who made something, eftir takes the accusative: hana.
- Manstu eftir mér?
Do you remember me?
Word by Word: Remember-you after me?
- Við gengum eftir ströndinni.
We walked along the beach.
Word by Word: We walked after the beach.
- Ég kem aftur eftir viku.
I'll come back in a week.
Word by Word: I come back after week.
Common Mistakes
Using the accusative after bíða eftir.
Ég bíð eftir þig.Ég bíð eftir þér.bíða eftir always takes the dative, so use þér.
Using the dative for the creator (intended meaning: this song is by her).
Þetta lag er eftir henni.Þetta lag er eftir hana.To say who made something, eftir takes the accusative: eftir hana.
How It Connects
Learn This First
eftir builds on time periods.
Related Patterns
- áður en / eftir aðBefore and After Clauses
eftir að starts a clause: after something happened.
Level 3 - Verbs With Fixed Prepositions
bíða eftir, muna eftir and taka eftir are fixed verb + preposition pairs.
Level 3 - munaRemember (Muna)
muna eftir + dative means to remember someone or something.
Level 3 - undir / yfirUnder and Over (Undir, Yfir)
Other prepositions that can take either the accusative or the dative.
Level 3 - The Accusative (þolfall)
The case for eftir in its "after" and "by" meanings.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice eftir in Bubblegum
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