á
On and at (Á)
á means on or at. Being there takes the dative: á borðinu (on the table). Moving there takes the accusative: á borðið (onto the table).
How It Works
On or at a place: dative.
- Bókin er á borðinu. (The book is on the table.)
- Ég bý á Íslandi. (I live in Iceland.)
- Við sitjum á kaffihúsi. (We are sitting in a café.)
Onto or to a place: accusative.
- Settu bókina á borðið. (Put the book on the table.)
- Hún fór á pósthúsið. (She went to the post office.)
The rule is the same as for í. See motion and location.
Where English says "in". Iceland and many other places take á: á Íslandi, á Akureyri, á Spáni. Learn the preposition with the place name; see á Íslandi/í Reykjavík.
Languages. "In a language" is á + dative: Hvað heitir þetta á íslensku? (What is this called in Icelandic?) See tala + language.
Time. á also appears in time phrases such as á morgun (tomorrow); see í gær/í dag/á morgun.
Do not mix it up with the verb. Ég á bíl (I own a car) uses á, a form of the verb eiga. It is a different word that is spelled the same.
Examples (6)
- Bókin er á borðinu.
The book is on the table.
Word by Word: Book-the is on table-the.
borðinu is dative: the book is already there.
- Settu bókina á borðið.
Put the book on the table.
Word by Word: Put-you book-the onto table-the.
borðið is accusative because the book moves.
- Ég bý á Íslandi.
I live in Iceland.
Word by Word: I live on Iceland.
Iceland takes á, not í.
- Við sitjum á kaffihúsi.
We are sitting in a café.
Word by Word: We sit on café.
- Hún fór á pósthúsið.
She went to the post office.
Word by Word: She went onto post-office-the.
pósthúsið is accusative: she moved there.
- Hvað heitir þetta á íslensku?
What is this called in Icelandic?
Word by Word: What is-called this on Icelandic?
Common Mistakes
Using í with Iceland because English says "in".
Ég bý í Íslandi.Ég bý á Íslandi.Iceland takes á. Learn í or á together with each place name.
Using the dative when something is put onto a surface.
Settu bókina á borðinu.Settu bókina á borðið.Putting something somewhere is movement, so á takes the accusative: borðið.
How It Connects
Learn This First
á is learned next to í.
Related Patterns
- Movement or Location With í and á
The full rule for movement and location with í and á.
Level 2 - á Íslandi / í ReykjavíkIn or on with Place Names
Which places take á and which take í.
Level 2 - tala + LanguageSpeaking a Language
Languages use á: á íslensku.
Level 1 - eigaTo Own (Eiga)
The verb form á (I own) is a different word with the same spelling.
Level 1 - í gær / í dag / á morgunYesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Time phrases such as á morgun.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice á in Bubblegum
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