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Questions & Answers about Ég spyr um veðrið.
Why is the verb spyr and not spyrir or spyrja?
The infinitive is spyrja “to ask.” In the present tense, first-person singular, Icelandic uses ég spyr. It’s an irregular pattern:
• ég spyr
• þú spyrð
• hann spyr
• við spyrjum
…and so on.
Why is the preposition um used here, and what case does it take?
um means “about” and always governs the accusative case. To ask about something you use spyr um + accusative:
Ég spyr um veðrið = “I ask about the weather.”
Why is veðrið in the definite form instead of just veður?
Icelandic marks definiteness with a suffix. veður = “weather,” veðrið = “the weather” (neuter + -definite suffix -ið). After um you put the noun in the accusative definite: veður → veðrið.
Could I drop Ég and say Spyr um veðrið?
Yes. Icelandic often omits the subject pronoun because the verb ending tells you who’s doing the action. Spyr um veðrið is perfectly understandable, though Ég can add clarity or emphasis.
What is the basic word order in Ég spyr um veðrið?
It follows Subject–Verb–Object (in this case a prepositional object) and obeys the V2 (verb-second) rule. If you front another element (e.g. Í dag spyr ég um veðrið), the verb still stays in second position.
How do you pronounce spyr um veðrið?
Roughly:
• spyr = “spɪːr” (y like German ü, a fronted “ee”)
• um = “ʏm” (u like English “book”)
• veðrið = “ˈvɛðrɪθ” (ð as th in “this,” stress on veð-)
How would I express “I am asking about the weather” in a continuous sense?
Use the periphrastic construction with að:
Ég er að spyrja um veðrið
(literally “I am at asking about the weather”).
How do I say “I asked about the weather” in past tense?
Use the past form of spyrja:
Ég spurði um veðrið.