Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Ég hef spurt þig mörgum sinnum.

Hef spurt is the present perfect (perfekt) in Icelandic. It’s formed with the auxiliary verb hafa (here in the first-person singular as hef) plus the past participle of the main verb (spurt). It conveys that you’ve asked at some point(s) in the past and that it’s relevant or continues up to now.

Why is spurt used here instead of spurði?

Spurt is the past participle of spyrja (“to ask”), required for the perfect tense. Spurði is the simple past (preterite) form, used when you just want a straightforward past statement (“I asked you”).

What case is þig, and why is it used?

Þig is the accusative singular form of þú (“you”). It’s the direct object of the verb spyrja, so it must appear in the accusative.

Why do we say mörgum sinnum instead of something like margir sinnum?

Sinnum (“times”) here is in the dative plural, and the adjective margur (“many”) must agree with it in case, number, and gender. So we get mörgum sinnum, literally “on many times,” which is the typical Icelandic way to express frequency.

Can I replace mörgum sinnum with a simpler adverb like oft?

Yes. Oft means “often” and works just fine: Ég hef spurt þig oft. However, mörgum sinnum stresses the idea of “many separate occasions,” while oft is more general.

Is it possible to change the word order, for example ég hef mörgum sinnum spurt þig?

Icelandic follows the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite verb (hef) must occupy the second position in a main clause. If you want to front mörgum sinnum, you’d say Mörgum sinnum hef ég spurt þig. You cannot move spurt ahead of hef, though.

How would I express “I had asked you many times” (the pluperfect)?

Use the past perfect (past pluperfect) by changing hef to hafði: Ég hafði spurt þig mörgum sinnum. The past participle spurt stays the same.