með

With (Með)

Level 1

með means with. Komdu með mér (Come with me) uses the dative. Hún kom með kökuna (She brought the cake) uses the accusative.

How It Works

með + dative: together with, using.

  • Company: Komdu með mér! (Come with me!) Ég fór með vini mínum. (I went with my friend.)
  • Things that go together: kaffi með mjólk (coffee with milk)
  • A tool: Ég borða með gaffli. (I eat with a fork.)
  • Transport: Ég fer með strætó. (I take the bus.)

með + accusative: bringing or taking something along. When someone carries, brings or takes something, með takes the accusative:

  • Hún kom með kökuna. (She brought the cake.)
  • Ég fór með bílinn á verkstæði. (I took the car to the garage.)

Having something on you works the same way, with vera með: Ertu með síma? (Do you have a phone on you?)

A tip. Ask: is the other thing a companion or a tool (dative), or is it being carried along (accusative)? Many nouns look the same in both cases, but the article shows the difference: með kökunni (with the cake, dative) and með kökuna (bringing the cake, accusative).

Talking with someone. English says talk with, but Icelandic says tala við: Ég talaði við Önnu. See við.

Examples (5)

  1. Komdu með mér!

    Come with me!

    Word by Word: Come-you with me!

    mér is dative: together with me.

  2. Ég drekk kaffi með mjólk.

    I drink coffee with milk.

    Word by Word: I drink coffee with milk.

  3. Hún kom með kökuna.

    She brought the cake.

    Word by Word: She came with cake-the.

    kökuna is accusative: she brought it along.

  4. Ég borða með gaffli.

    I am eating with a fork.

    Word by Word: I eat with fork.

    gaffall becomes gaffli in the dative: the fork is a tool.

  5. Ég fer með strætó í vinnuna.

    I take the bus to work.

    Word by Word: I go with bus into work-the.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the nominative pronoun after með.

    Komdu með ég!
    Komdu með mér!

    Pronouns after með are dative when they mean together with: mér, þér, honum, henni.

  • Using með for "talk with", copying English.

    Ég talaði með Önnu.
    Ég talaði við Önnu.

    Icelandic talks við someone. Ég talaði með Önnu would mean that you and Anna spoke together to someone else, not that you spoke to her.

How It Connects

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meðLevel 1With (Með)

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með builds on the four cases.

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Words in This Pattern

með