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How Do You Use Því

· 2 min read
Tbrennan
Tbrennan
Project Founder

This post will discuss the two most common, sometimes confused together, ways to use the word því.

It​

At it's core, því is nothing more than the dative version of the word það. As such, any time that það needs to be in the dative case, því will be used.

Example 1: Gleymdu því! - (Forget it!)
Example 2: Ég sé eftir þvi. - (I regret it.)
Example 3: Hann skildi því til eigandans. - (He returned it to the owner.)

In each of these two examples, the word því is simply acting to replace a neuter noun or a clause. You can always identify this usage becasue there is some verb, preposition, or context that is calling for a dative noun or a clause to be used.

Because​

Því, when apearing outside the dative context, often means because. This usage is very common.

Example 1: Ég borðaði því ég var svangur. - (I ate because I was hungry.)

However, því appears often in fixed phrases that also simply mean because. Two of the most common of these are af því að and út af því að.

Example 1: Ég borðaði af því að ég var svangur. - (I ate because I was hungry.)
Example 2: Ég borðaði út af því að ég var svangur. - (I ate because I was hungry.)

Practice​

See if you can tell whether the því in the following examples is a verion of það or whether it means because.

Example 1: Ég svaf því ég var þreyttur.
Example 2: Ég henti því í loftið.
Example 3: Trúirðu því eiginlega?
Example 4: Af því að hún er látin.
Example 5: Ég þekki hana því hún er frænka mín.