Questions & Answers about Læknirinn kemur strax.
In Icelandic the definite article is not a separate word but a suffix on the noun. You form the definite masculine singular by adding -inn to læknir (doctor):
• læknir = “a doctor” (indefinite)
• læknirinn = “the doctor” (definite)
kemur is the present-tense form of the verb koma (to come), used for both 2nd and 3rd person singular. In context, tied to læknirinn, it means “he/she/it comes” or simply “comes.” Conjugation in present tense:
• ég kem (I come)
• þú kemur (you come)
• hann/hún kemur (he/she comes)
…and so on, with kemur matching 2nd and 3rd person singular.
Icelandic follows a V2 (verb-second) word order in main clauses: the finite verb comes in the second position. Here’s the breakdown:
- læknirinn (subject)
- kemur (finite verb)
- strax (adverb)
That S-V-Adv order is the normal unmarked pattern for statements.
strax is an adverb meaning immediately or right away. Other options include:
• beint – literally “straight,” sometimes used for “directly”
• samstundis – more formal for “instantly”
But strax is the most common everyday word for immediately.
Yes. To stress that the action is in progress, you can use the periphrastic construction vera að + infinitive:
• læknirinn er að koma = “the doctor is coming (right now, in the process).”
However, for near-future events Icelandic often prefers the simple present (kemur) rather than a continuous form.
For a yes/no question in Icelandic, invert the finite verb and subject:
• Kemur læknirinn fljótlega? = “Will the doctor come soon?”
If you want to emphasize the future, you can also use the auxiliary mun (will):
• Mun læknirinn koma fljótlega?