geta is the Icelandic verb for "can, to be able to" — physical ability, possibility, permission-in-practice. It is one of the preterite-present verbs, so its present singular has no -r ending (ég get, like English I can). But it hides a trap that no other modal in the language sets: geta is followed by a supine, not an infinitive. You do not say ég get gera — you say ég get gert "I can do (it)." Master that single fact and you have beaten the hardest thing about this very common verb.
Conjugation
Class: preterite-present (present singular has no ending; present plural and past are strong-type). Complement: a supine, not an infinitive. Auxiliary: hafa — ég hef getað "I have been able to."
| Principal parts | |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | að geta |
| 3sg present | getur |
| 3sg past | gat |
| Supine | getað |
| Person | Present (nútíð) | Past (þátíð) |
|---|---|---|
| ég | get | gat |
| þú | getur | gast |
| hann / hún / það | getur | gat |
| við | getum | gátum |
| þið | getið | gátuð |
| þeir / þær / þau | geta | gátu |
| Person | Present subjunctive | Past subjunctive |
|---|---|---|
| ég | geti | gæti |
| þú | getir | gætir |
| hann / hún / það | geti | gæti |
| við | getum | gætum |
| þið | getið | gætuð |
| þeir / þær / þau | geti | gætu |
| Non-finite & imperative | |
|---|---|
| Imperative | — (none in use; you can't command "be able") |
| Supine | getað |
| Past participle (m/f/n) | getið (used as supine; verbal adjective rare) |
| Middle voice (miðmynd) | getast (rare; "getast að" = take a liking to) |
Preterite-present: no -r in the singular
Like eiga, kunna, vita and the other preterite-presents, geta has a present singular with no ending: ég get, þú getur, hann getur. (The þú form does take -ur here, unlike eiga's bare átt — preterite-presents are not perfectly uniform.) This is the same family as English can, which is why nobody says "he cans." The past gat / gátu shows the strong vowel jump a → á in the plural — and note the acute accent: gátum, gátuð, gátu, never gatum.
Ég get ekki komið í kvöld, því miður.
I can't come tonight, unfortunately.
Getur þú rétt mér saltið?
Can you pass me the salt?
Við gátum ekki sofið út af hávaðanum.
We couldn't sleep because of the noise.
geta + supine: the core construction
Where English chains "can" to a bare verb ("can do, can swim"), Icelandic chains geta to the supine — the same uninflected -ð/-t/-að form you use after hafa in the perfect. So geta gert, geta synt, geta komið, geta talað. There is no logical reason English speakers will guess this; it simply has to be drilled.
Hún getur talað fimm tungumál reiprennandi.
She can speak five languages fluently.
Ég gat ekki sagt neitt — ég var of hissa.
I couldn't say anything — I was too surprised.
The subjunctive gæti — "could / might"
The past subjunctive gæti (with æ) is one of the most useful forms in spoken Icelandic, doing the work of English "could / might": polite requests, hypotheticals, soft possibility. Ég gæti hugsað mér… "I could imagine…" is an everyday turn of phrase.
Gætir þú hjálpað mér með þetta augnablik?
Could you help me with this for a moment?
Það gæti rignt seinna í dag.
It might rain later today.
geta vs kunna
Both touch "can," but they split cleanly. geta = ability/possibility in the moment ("can, manage to"); kunna = a learned skill you possess ("know how to"). Ég kann að synda "I know how to swim" (I have the skill) versus ég get synt í dag "I can swim today" (it's possible for me right now). Note too that kunna takes an infinitive with að, while geta takes a bare supine — a handy way to tell them apart.
Ég kann að spila á píanó, en ég get ekki spilað núna því höndin er meidd.
I know how to play the piano, but I can't play right now because my hand is hurt.
Common Mistakes
❌ Ég get gera það.
Incorrect — geta takes a supine, not an infinitive: gert, not gera
✅ Ég get gert það.
I can do it.
❌ Hann getur að synda.
Incorrect — no að after geta, and the verb must be a supine: getur synt
✅ Hann getur synt.
He can swim.
❌ Við gatum ekki komið.
Incorrect — the past plural has an acute accent and long vowel: gátum, not gatum
✅ Við gátum ekki komið.
We couldn't come.
❌ Ég get synda, ég lærði það sem barn.
Incorrect mood/meaning — a learned skill is kunna + að: ég kann að synda
✅ Ég kann að synda, ég lærði það sem barn.
I can (know how to) swim, I learned it as a child.
Key Takeaways
- geta / get / gat / getað — a preterite-present; present singular ég get has no -r.
- It governs a supine, never an infinitive: get gert, getur synt, gátum komið.
- Past plural takes the accent: gátum, gátuð, gátu (not gatum).
- gæti (past subjunctive, æ) = polite "could / might."
- geta = can/manage right now; kunna að = know how (a learned skill).
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