Vikan líður hratt.

The week passes quickly.

Breakdown of Vikan líður hratt.

• líða: to pass
• hratt: quickly
• vikan: the week

Questions & Answers about Vikan líður hratt.

Why do we use vikan instead of vika?

In Icelandic, definiteness is shown by a suffix rather than a separate article. Vika means “a week,” and when you want “the week,” you add -n for feminine nouns of the first declension:
• vika (indefinite) → vikan (definite)
So vikan translates as the week.

What case is vikan in, and why?

It’s in the nominative case because it’s the subject of the sentence. The verb líða (to pass, flow) needs a nominative subject telling us what is doing the “passing.”

What does líður mean here, and how is it conjugated?

Here líður is the 3rd person singular present of líða meaning “to pass” (of time). Conjugation in present tense is:
Ég líð
Þú líður
Hann/hún líður
Við líkum
Þið líkið
Þeir líða

So vikan líður literally means “the week passes.”

Can líður mean something else?

Yes. Líða also means “to feel” (well, sick, etc.) when used with a dative pronoun:
• Mér líður vel. → “I feel well.”
Context and case marking tell you which meaning—“time passes” vs. “to feel.”

Is hratt an adjective or an adverb?

Hratt is an adverb derived from the adjective hraður (fast). It modifies the verb líður (“passes quickly”). If you describe a person or thing, you’d use the adjective form:
• Bíllinn er hraður. (“The car is fast.”)

How do you form comparatives and superlatives of hraður/hratt?

Adjective (fast): hraður
Comparative: fljótari
Superlative: fljótastur
Adverb (quickly): hratt
Comparative: hraðar
Superlative: hrattast
Examples:
• Vikan líður hraðar. (“The week goes by faster.”)
• Hún hleypur hrattast. (“She runs fastest of all.”)

Could I say Hratt líður vikan instead?

Yes. Icelandic is a V2-language (verb-second), so if you front hratt, the finite verb still stays in second position:
• Hratt líður vikan. (“Quickly the week passes.”)
Both orders are correct, but Vikan líður hratt is more neutral.

How would I say “Last week flew by quickly” in Icelandic?

You can put síðasta (last) before vika and use past tense of líða:
• Síðasta vika liðið hratt.
Or use fljúga (to fly) figuratively:
• Síðasta vika flaug hratt framhjá.

Are there other verbs or adverbs to talk about time passing?

Yes. Common verbs:
• renna – Tíminn rennur hratt. (“Time runs quickly.”)
• fara – Dagarnir fóru hratt. (“The days went quickly.”)
Other adverbs for “quickly”:
• skjótt, snögglega, fljótt. Each has its own nuance, but hratt is the most neutral.