Formal Prepositions

Level 5

Samkvæmt veðurspánni á að rigna á morgun. (According to the forecast, it is supposed to rain tomorrow.)

How It Works

A list to learn.

  • samkvæmt + dative, according to: samkvæmt lögum, samkvæmt veðurspánni
  • gagnvart + dative, towards, with regard to: kurteis gagnvart gestum
  • varðandi + accusative, concerning: spurning varðandi reikninginn
  • sökum + genitive, because of: sökum veðurs
  • þrátt fyrir + accusative, despite: þrátt fyrir rigninguna
  • ásamt + dative, together with: ásamt fylgiskjölum

Everyday equivalents. In speech, sökum is usually vegna (+ genitive) or út af (+ dative): út af veðrinu; see genitive prepositions. varðandi can often be replaced by um: spurning um reikninginn, and careful writers use it sparingly. ásamt is simply með in speech.

Word order. A phrase with one of these prepositions at the start of a sentence fills the first place, so the verb comes next: Sökum veðurs var fluginu aflýst.

Before a clause. Before a whole clause, þrátt fyrir becomes þrátt fyrir að, usually with the subjunctive: Þrátt fyrir að það rigndi fórum við út. See also engu að síður. Formal writing uses these prepositions to pack information into noun phrases; see nominal style.

Examples (6)

  1. Samkvæmt veðurspánni á að rigna á morgun.

    According to the forecast, it is supposed to rain tomorrow.

    Word by Word: According-to the-weather-forecast is to rain tomorrow.

    samkvæmt takes the dative: veðurspánni.

  2. Sökum veðurs var fluginu aflýst.

    Because of the weather, the flight was cancelled.

    Word by Word: Because-of weather(gen) was the-flight(dat) cancelled.

    sökum takes the genitive: veðurs. aflýsa takes a dative object, so the passive keeps fluginu.

  3. Ég hef spurningu varðandi reikninginn.

    I have a question about the bill.

    Word by Word: I have question concerning the-bill.

    varðandi takes the accusative: reikninginn.

  4. Hún hefur alltaf verið kurteis gagnvart gestum.

    She has always been polite to guests.

    Word by Word: She has always been polite towards guests.

    gagnvart takes the dative: gestum.

  5. Þrátt fyrir rigninguna fórum við í göngutúr.

    Despite the rain, we went for a walk.

    Word by Word: Despite the-rain went we into walk.

    þrátt fyrir takes the accusative: rigninguna.

  6. Sendið umsóknina ásamt fylgiskjölum.

    Send the application together with the attachments.

    Word by Word: Send the-application together-with attachments.

    ásamt takes the dative: fylgiskjölum.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the accusative after samkvæmt.

    Samkvæmt veðurspána á að rigna á morgun.
    Samkvæmt veðurspánni á að rigna á morgun.

    samkvæmt takes the dative, so the noun must be veðurspánni.

  • Leaving the noun after sökum in the nominative.

    Sökum veðrið var fluginu aflýst.
    Sökum veðurs var fluginu aflýst.

    sökum takes the genitive: veðurs.

  • Using the dative after varðandi.

    Ég hef spurningu varðandi reikningnum.
    Ég hef spurningu varðandi reikninginn.

    varðandi takes the accusative: reikninginn.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Formal PrepositionsLevel 5

Learn This First

Formal prepositions build on the three preposition groups.

Words in This Pattern

samkvæmtgagnvartvarðandisökum