Particle Verbs and Their Nouns

Level 5

gefa út → útgáfa (publish → publication) · taka upp → upptaka (record → recording)

How It Works

Common pairs.

  • gefa út (publish) → útgáfa (f, publication, edition)
  • taka þátt (take part) → þátttaka (f, participation)
  • taka upp (record) → upptaka (f, recording)
  • koma fram (behave) → framkoma (f, behaviour, conduct)
  • taka á móti (receive) → móttaka (f, reception)
  • halda áfram (continue) → framhald (n, continuation, sequel)
  • segja upp (quit, give notice) → uppsögn (f, resignation, notice)
  • fara fram (improve) → framför (f, progress, often plural framfarir)

People and adjectives. The present participle gives nouns for people: þátttakandi (participant), útgefandi (publisher). A past participle can take the particle first too: gefast upp (give up) → uppgefinn (exhausted): Ég er alveg uppgefin.

Spelling. The whole noun is written as one word, and no letters are lost where the parts meet: þátt + taka → þátttaka, with three t's.

Formal style. These nouns are common in news and official writing, where a noun often replaces a verb phrase: Þátttaka í kosningunum var góð. (Turnout in the election was good.) See nominal style and particle verbs.

Examples (6)

  1. Önnur útgáfa bókarinnar kemur út í vor.

    A second edition of the book comes out in the spring.

    Word by Word: Second edition the-book's comes out in spring.

    útgáfa comes from gefa út (publish).

  2. Þátttaka í kosningunum var góð.

    Turnout in the election was good.

    Word by Word: Participation in the-elections was good.

    þátttaka is þátt + taka, with three t's.

  3. Ég hlustaði á upptöku af tónleikunum.

    I listened to a recording of the concert.

    Word by Word: I listened on recording of the-concert.

    upptaka (from taka upp) is accusative upptöku after hlusta á.

  4. Framkoma hans á fundinum var til fyrirmyndar.

    His conduct at the meeting was exemplary.

    Word by Word: Conduct his at the-meeting was to model.

    framkoma comes from koma fram (behave).

  5. Hún hefur tekið miklum framförum í íslensku.

    She has made great progress in Icelandic.

    Word by Word: She has taken great progresses in Icelandic.

    framfarir comes from fara fram (improve).

  6. Ég er alveg uppgefin eftir daginn.

    I am completely exhausted after the day.

    Word by Word: I am quite up-given after the-day.

    uppgefinn has the particle first, like the nouns.

Common Mistakes

  • Dropping a t in þátttaka.

    Þáttaka í kosningunum var góð.
    Þátttaka í kosningunum var góð.

    The word is þátt + taka, and no letter is lost at the join, so it has three t's.

  • Using the verb phrase where a noun is needed.

    Ég hlustaði á taka upp af tónleikunum.
    Ég hlustaði á upptöku af tónleikunum.

    After hlusta á you need a noun. The noun from taka upp is upptaka, here in the accusative: upptöku.

How It Connects

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Particle Verbs and Their NounsLevel 5

Learn This First

Particle verb nouns build on particle verbs and compounds.