Við grillum með grilltönginni eða eldum inni.

we

Breakdown of Við grillum með grilltönginni eða eldum inni.

• með: with
• elda: to cook
• eða: or

Questions & Answers about Við grillum með grilltönginni eða eldum inni.

Why is við used here, and does it always mean we?

Yes, við here is the subject pronoun meaning we.

A useful extra point is that við can also be a preposition meaning with in other sentences, but that is a completely different word function. In this sentence:

• Við = we
• með = with

So even though both are short common words, they are not interchangeable.

Why do the verbs end in -um in grillum and eldum?

Because both verbs are in the present tense, first person plural: we grill / we cook.

In Icelandic, verbs change form depending on the subject. Here:

• við grillum = we grill
• við eldum = we cook

The -um ending is a very common ending for we in the present tense.

For example:

• ég elda = I cook
• við eldum = we cook

So the ending is showing who is doing the action.

Why is the subject við only stated once? Why not repeat it before eldum?