Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Venjulega les ég bókmenntir eftir kvöldmat.

Venjulega is an adverb meaning “usually.” It is derived from the adjective venjulegur (“usual”) by replacing the adjective ending -gur with the adverbial suffix -lega, similar to English -ly.

Why is the verb les in second position and the subject ég in third?

Icelandic is a V2 (verb-second) language. In main clauses the finite verb must come directly after the first constituent, whatever that may be. Here venjulega occupies the first slot, so the verb les follows in second position. The subject ég then comes after the verb.

Could I say Ég les venjulega bókmenntir eftir kvöldmat instead? Is the original word order the only option?

Yes, you can also say Ég les venjulega bókmenntir eftir kvöldmat. That places venjulega after the verb, giving a neutral statement about your reading habits. The original order (with venjulega first) simply emphasizes the frequency “usually.” Both orders are correct so long as the verb stays in the second slot.

Why is bókmenntir in the plural, and what case is it?

Bókmenntir is a plural-only noun in Icelandic meaning “literature.” In this sentence it functions as the direct object of les, so it appears in the accusative plural. For nouns like this, the nominative plural and accusative plural forms are identical (bókmenntir).

Why is there no article before bókmenntir?

Icelandic uses a suffixed definite article rather than a separate word. Here bókmenntir is indefinite (“(some) literature”), so no ending is added. If you wanted “the literature” (a specific collection), you would say bókmenntirnar (adding -nar for the definite plural).

In eftir kvöldmat, why is kvöldmat in the accusative instead of nominative or dative?

The preposition eftir takes the accusative when it indicates a time expression like “after dinner.” The dictionary (nominative) form is kvöldmatur. Because it ends in -ur, its accusative singular is formed by dropping -ur, yielding kvöldmat.

Why is the noun written kvöldmat instead of the dictionary form kvöldmatur?

After eftir (which requires the accusative for time), you must use the accusative singular. For masculine nouns ending in -ur, the accusative is formed by dropping -ur. Thus kvöldmatur → kvöldmat.

What’s the difference between venjulega, oftast, and vanalega?

Venjulega and vanalega both mean “usually.” Venjulega is more neutral and common in writing, while vanalega can feel more conversational (“by habit”).
Oftast means “most often” or “in most cases,” emphasizing frequency rather than default behavior. Use venjulega/vanalega for what typically happens and oftast when you mean “more often than not.”

Can I drop the subject pronoun ég and say Venjulega les bókmenntir eftir kvöldmat?

You could omit ég, but because les is identical for 1st and 3rd person singular, the sentence becomes ambiguous (it could mean “I read” or “he/she reads”). Icelandic verbs don’t mark each person uniquely, so it’s standard to keep ég for clarity.