Ég bið um vatn.

I ask for water.

Breakdown of Ég bið um vatn.

• ég: I
• vatn: the water
• biðja um: to ask for

Questions & Answers about Ég bið um vatn.

Can you break down each word in Ég bið um vatn?

• Ég = I
• bið = (I) ask (present tense of biðja)
• um = for/about (preposition)
• vatn = water

What is the role of um in this sentence, and which case does it govern?

• um is the preposition used with biðja to mean “ask for.”
• In Icelandic, um always takes the accusative case.
• Here vatn remains unchanged because its nominative and accusative forms are identical for an indefinite neuter noun.

Why does vatn look the same in nominative and accusative?

• vatn is a neuter noun.
• In the singular indefinite form, neuter nouns have identical endings in nominative and accusative.
• To make it definite you’d say vatnið (“the water”).

How do you conjugate the verb biðja in the present tense?

Here’s biðja (“to ask for”) in present tense:
• Ég bið
• Þú biður
• Hann/Hún/Það biður
• Við biðjum
• Þið biðið
• Þeir/Þær/Þau biðja

How is the letter ð pronounced in bið?

• ð (called “eth”) is a voiced dental fricative, like the th in English this.
• So bið sounds roughly like beeth (with a short “ee” and soft “th”).

Can you drop the subject ég in Icelandic, like you can in Spanish?

No. Icelandic normally requires an explicit subject in finite clauses. You wouldn’t say Bið um vatn to mean “I ask for water.” You need Ég bið um vatn.

How would I ask for the water instead of water in general?

Use the definite form vatnið:
• Ég bið um vatnið.
This literally means “I ask for the water.”

What are other polite ways to ask for water in Icelandic?

Here are some common alternatives:
• Vinsamlegast fái ég vatn? (“May I please have water?”)
• Má ég fá vatn? (“May I get water?”)
• Gætirðu fengið mér vatn, vinsamlegast? (“Could you get me water, please?”)
• Væri það í lagi að fá vatn? (“Would it be OK to have water?”)