Prepositions With the Genitive

Level 3

til Íslands (to Iceland), án þín (without you), vegna veðursins (because of the weather): these prepositions take the genitive.

How It Works

The genitive prepositions.

  • til: to: til Íslands, til læknis, til mín
  • án: without: kaffi án mjólkur (coffee without milk), án þín
  • vegna: because of: vegna veðursins
  • (á) milli: between: á milli húsanna (between the houses)
  • (á) meðal: among: meðal annars (among other things), á meðal vina (among friends)
  • auk: besides, in addition to: auk þess (besides that, moreover)
  • innan: within: innan fárra daga (within a few days)
  • utan: outside: utan Reykjavíkur (outside Reykjavík)

In everyday speech. vegna sounds a little formal. In speech, people often say út af + dative instead: út af veðrinu. Both are correct. Before a whole clause, use vegna þess að (because), and for "without doing" use án þess að.

Watch out for fyrir utan. utan and innan on their own take the genitive, but the phrases fyrir utan and fyrir innan take the accusative: fyrir utan húsið (outside the house).

Examples (6)

  1. Ég flutti til Íslands í fyrra.

    I moved to Iceland last year.

    Word by Word: I moved to Iceland's in former.

  2. Ég drekk kaffi án mjólkur.

    I drink coffee without milk.

  3. Flugið var fellt niður vegna veðursins.

    The flight was cancelled because of the weather.

    Word by Word: The flight was felled down because-of the weather's.

  4. Það er lítill garður á milli húsanna.

    There is a small garden between the houses.

    Word by Word: It is small garden on between the houses'.

  5. Ég get ekki lifað án þín.

    I can't live without you.

    þín is the genitive of þú.

  6. Hann talar meðal annars þýsku og frönsku.

    He speaks German and French, among other languages.

    Word by Word: He speaks among other German and French.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the noun in the nominative after til.

    Ég fer til Ísland á morgun.
    Ég fer til Íslands á morgun.

    til takes the genitive. The genitive of Ísland is Íslands.

  • Using an accusative pronoun after án.

    Ég fer ekki án þig.
    Ég fer ekki án þín.

    án takes the genitive, so use þín, not þig.

  • Using the nominative after vegna.

    Flugið var fellt niður vegna veðrið.
    Flugið var fellt niður vegna veðursins.

    vegna takes the genitive: veðursins.

How It Connects

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Prepositions With the GenitiveLevel 3

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Genitive prepositions build on the genitive.

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Words in This Pattern

tilánvegnamilliá millimeðalaukinnanutanút af