Nemendurnir safnast saman núna.

The students are gathering now.

Breakdown of Nemendurnir safnast saman núna.

• saman: together
• núna: now
• nemandinn: the student
• safnast: to gather

Questions & Answers about Nemendurnir safnast saman núna.

What does Nemendurnir break down into, and why does it end in -nir?

Nemendurnir = nemendur (students) + the definite article “the” attached as a suffix.

• nemendur is the nominative plural of nemandi (student)
• -nir is one common masculine plural nominative definite ending, so nemendurnir means the students (as the subject of the sentence)

If you remove the article you get:

• Nemendur safnast saman núna. = Students are gathering now. (more general/indefinite)

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Why is the verb safnast the same form as the dictionary form (infinitive)? Shouldn’t it be different?

For many Icelandic verbs, the 3rd person plural present tense looks identical to the infinitive.

• Infinitive: að safnast
• Present, þeir/þær/þau (they): (þeir) safnast

So in this sentence, Nemendurnir (they) + safnast is normal present-tense agreement.

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What’s the difference between safna and safnast?

They’re related but used differently:

• að safna is typically active/transitive: someone collects something
  
  • Ég safna frímerkjum. = I collect stamps.
• að safnast is a middle/“intransitive -st” form meaning to gather / assemble (by coming together)
  
  • Nemendurnir safnast saman. = The students gather together.

A rough way to remember it: -st often makes the action happen “by itself / among themselves,” without a direct object.

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What does saman do here? Is it necessary?

saman is an adverb meaning together. With safnast, it’s very common and often sounds more natural/complete:

• safnast = gather
• safnast saman = gather together (emphasizes coming into one group)

It’s not always strictly required, but it’s a very common pairing.

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Where can núna go in the sentence? Is the word order flexible?

Yes, it’s flexible, but Icelandic has strong patterns (especially verb-second word order when something comes first). Common options:

• Nemendurnir safnast saman núna. (neutral)
• Nemendurnir safnast núna saman. (also fine)
• Núna safnast nemendurnir saman. (when núna is first, the verb comes second)

All mean basically the same, with slightly different emphasis (fronting Núna highlights “now”).

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Is this present tense describing something happening right now, or can it mean the near future?

Both are possible in Icelandic, depending on context:

• right now / currently happening: they’re gathering (as we speak)
• very near future / arranged: they’re gathering now (i.e., at this time / at this point in the schedule)

If you want to be extra explicit about “right this moment,” you can rely on context or add phrasing, but núna already strongly suggests “now.”

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What case is nemendurnir in, and does safnast govern any case?

Nemendurnir is nominative, because it’s the subject. In Nemendurnir safnast saman, the verb is used intransitively (no direct object), so you don’t see object case government here. Any extra phrases would typically be prepositional:

• Nemendurnir safnast saman í stofunni. = … in the classroom.
• Nemendurnir safnast saman klukkan þrjú. = … at three o’clock.

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How do you pronounce the sentence?

A practical guide:

• Stress is usually on the first syllable of words: NE-men-dur-nir SAF-nast SA-man NÚ-na
• Approximate IPA (careful, dialects vary): [ˈnɛmɛn.tʏr.nɪr ˈsaf.nast ˈsaː.man ˈnuː.na] Notes:
• ú in núna is like a long “oo” sound.
• The -nir ending is a separate syllable: -nir.

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Could I also say Nemendurnir eru að safnast saman núna? What’s the difference?

Yes. That uses the vera að + infinitive construction, which emphasizes an ongoing process (like English “are in the process of …”):

• Nemendurnir safnast saman núna. = The students gather/are gathering now. (simple, neutral)
• Nemendurnir eru að safnast saman núna. = The students are (in the middle of) gathering now. (more explicitly “in progress”)