Við grillum fiskinn.

Við here means we.

Yes, it is normally written with ð and with the correct spelling. In Icelandic, spelling matters, because a small change can create a different word or just be incorrect.

Also, be careful: við can mean different things depending on context:

• við = we
• við can also appear as a preposition meaning against / with / by, depending on the sentence

In Við grillum fiskinn, it is clearly the pronoun we.

Because the verb has to agree with the subject.

The infinitive is að grilla = to grill.

But here the subject is við = we, so the verb changes to the 1st person plural form:

• ég grilla = I grill
• þú grillar = you grill
• hann/hún/það grillar = he/she/it grills
• við grillum = we grill
• þið grillið = you (plural) grill
• þeir/þær/þau grilla = they grill

So grillum means we grill.

It is present tense.

So Við grillum fiskinn most directly means We grill the fish or We are grilling the fish, depending on context.

Like in many languages, the simple present in Icelandic can sometimes be used in ways that English would translate with either:

• We grill the fish
• We are grilling the fish

The situation usually tells you which is meant.

Because fiskinn means the fish as a definite direct object.

Here is the basic idea:

• fiskur = fish (subject form / nominative singular)
• fisk = fish (indefinite object / accusative singular)
• fiskinn = the fish (definite object / accusative singular)

So:

• Við grillum fisk. = We grill fish.
• Við grillum fiskinn. = We grill the fish.

The ending -inn is the definite article, attached to the noun instead of written as a separate word like English the.

Because Icelandic uses cases, and the direct object often appears in the accusative case.

The verb að grilla takes a direct object, so fish appears in the object form:

• nominative: fiskur
• accusative: fisk

And with the definite article attached:

• accusative definite: fiskinn

So the noun changes because it is the thing being grilled, not the subject doing the action.

There are two main clues:

1. Verb agreement

   • grillum means we grill
   • so við must be the subject

2. Case form

   • fiskinn is an accusative form
   • accusative is very often used for direct objects

So the structure is:

• Við = subject
• grillum = verb
• fiskinn = direct object

In this sentence, yes: it follows a very familiar pattern:

• Við = we
• grillum = grill
• fiskinn = the fish

So it is basically subject + verb + object, just like English.

However, Icelandic word order can be more flexible than English, especially because cases help show who is doing what. Still, Við grillum fiskinn is a very normal and straightforward order.

Yes.

The Icelandic present tense often covers both:

• We grill the fish
• We are grilling the fish

If you need to be very explicit about an ongoing action, Icelandic can sometimes use other expressions, but in everyday language the plain present tense often does the job.

So without more context, Við grillum fiskinn can naturally be understood as either a general present or a current action.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• fiskinn ≈ FISK-inn

A few helpful points:

• fisk- sounds fairly close to English fisk
• the i in the ending is a short vowel
• the final -nn is really pronounced; do not drop it completely

You do not need to make it sound exactly like English inn. Just make sure the ending is clearly there, because it is grammatically important.

It is a relatively modern verb and is generally treated as a borrowing, ultimately related to the international word grill.

What matters for learners is that once it enters Icelandic, it behaves like a regular Icelandic verb:

• infinitive: að grilla
• present plural: grillum
• past forms follow Icelandic patterns too

So even if the word feels familiar to an English speaker, its grammar is Icelandic.

You would usually say:

Við grillum fisk.

Here:

• fisk = fish, as an indefinite object
• fiskinn = the fish

So the difference is:

• Við grillum fisk. = We grill fish.
• Við grillum fiskinn. = We grill the fish.

Yes. Just like English we, Icelandic við can refer to:

• the speaker plus one other person
• the speaker plus several other people

So it does not have to mean a large group. It simply means that the speaker is included.

A natural yes/no question would be:

Grillum við fiskinn?

This literally keeps the same words but puts the verb first, which is a common way to form questions in Icelandic.

So:

• Við grillum fiskinn. = We grill the fish.
• Grillum við fiskinn? = Are we grilling the fish? / Do we grill the fish?

That verb-first pattern is very useful in Icelandic.