frá
From (Frá)
frá means from and is always followed by the dative: Ég er frá Póllandi. (I am from Poland.)
How It Works
Always the dative. frá never changes case. The word after it is in the dative:
- Places: frá Íslandi (Ísland), frá Danmörku (Danmörk)
- People: frá mömmu (mamma), frá Önnu (Anna)
- Pronouns: frá mér, frá þér, frá honum, frá henni (see mér/þér/honum/henni)
Where you are from. Ég er frá Póllandi or Ég kem frá Póllandi. See koma frá. The question word is hvaðan (where from); see hvar/hvert/hvaðan.
Start and end. frá ... til ... gives a range of places or times: frá Reykjavík til Akureyrar, frá níu til fimm. Note that til takes the genitive, so the two names can end differently.
Two small notes. From home is not frá heima but að heiman; see heim/heima. Out of the inside of something is úr, also with the dative: úr húsinu (out of the house). See dative prepositions.
Examples (6)
- Ég er frá Póllandi.
I am from Poland.
Word by Word: I am from Poland.
Pólland becomes Póllandi in the dative.
- Ég fékk bréf frá mömmu.
I got a letter from Mom.
Word by Word: I got letter from Mom.
mamma becomes mömmu in the dative.
- Þetta er gjöf frá mér.
This is a present from me.
Word by Word: This is gift from me.
- Hún flutti frá Danmörku í fyrra.
She moved from Denmark last year.
Word by Word: She moved from Denmark in last-year.
- Búðin er opin frá níu til sex.
The shop is open from nine to six.
Word by Word: Shop-the is open from nine to six.
- Hvað er langt frá Reykjavík til Akureyrar?
How far is it from Reykjavík to Akureyri?
Word by Word: What is long from Reykjavík to Akureyri?
frá takes the dative (Reykjavík) and til the genitive (Akureyrar).
Common Mistakes
Leaving the place name in its dictionary form after frá.
Ég er frá Ísland.Ég er frá Íslandi.frá always takes the dative, so Ísland becomes Íslandi.
Using the nominative pronoun after frá.
Þetta er gjöf frá ég.Þetta er gjöf frá mér.Pronouns after frá are dative: mér, þér, honum, henni.
How It Connects
Learn This First
frá builds on the four cases.
Related Patterns
- koma fráSaying Where You Are from
The everyday way to say where you come from.
Level 1 - tilTo (Til)
The opposite direction: to. Often paired with frá.
Level 1 - hvar / hvert / hvaðanWhere, Where to and Where from
hvaðan asks where someone or something comes from.
Level 1 - mér / þér / honum / henniDative Pronouns
The dative pronouns used after frá.
Level 1 - Prepositions With the Dative
frá is one of the prepositions that always take the dative.
Level 3 - heim / heimaHome (Heim, Heima)
From home is að heiman, not frá heima.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice frá in Bubblegum
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