Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Við heimsækjum nágranna okkar á sunnudag.

nágranna is the accusative form of the weak masculine noun nágranni (neighbor). In Icelandic, weak masculine nouns add “-a” in both the singular and plural accusative (and dative). Here, it is accusative because it is the direct object of the verb heimsækjum (we visit).

Why is there no definite article before nágranna okkar even though we mean “our neighbors”?

In Icelandic, a possessive pronoun (like okkar) makes the noun definite, so you do not add the word “the” beforehand. nágranna okkar literally means “the neighbors of us,” so adding an extra definite article would be redundant.

Why does the possessive pronoun okkar come after the noun instead of before it?

Unlike English, Icelandic places possessive pronouns after the noun they modify. So you say hesturinn minn (the horse of me) rather than minn hestur. The noun comes first, then the genitive pronoun that marks ownership.

What case is okkar in, and why?

okkar is the genitive form of the first‐person plural pronoun. Possessive pronouns in Icelandic always take the genitive case to show ownership (our), so it follows the noun it modifies in that case.

Why is the verb heimsækjum in the present tense if the visit is happening in the future?

Icelandic commonly uses the present tense to express future plans, especially when a time expression is present. So Við heimsækjum… á sunnudag is akin to English “We are visiting… on Sunday” or “We will visit… on Sunday.”

How does Icelandic word order affect the placement of við and á sunnudag in this sentence?

Icelandic follows the V2 rule: the finite verb (heimsækjum) must be the second element. Here the subject við is first, the verb second, and the rest follows. If you front the time phrase, you get Á sunnudag heimsækjum við nágranna okkar—verb still in second position.

Why is the time expression á sunnudag in the accusative rather than the dative?

When á expresses a specific point in time (on Sunday), it governs the accusative. If you wanted a more general time frame (“around Sunday”), you might use dative with um, as in um sunnudag.

Can við be omitted in Við heimsækjum nágranna okkar á sunnudag?

Technically yes, because the verb ending -um already indicates first‐person plural. In casual speech you might hear Heimsækjum nágranna okkar á sunnudag, but including við is more common for clarity and emphasis.

How can you tell whether nágranna okkar refers to one neighbor or several, since the accusative singular and plural look identical?

The form nágranna is the same for singular and plural accusative in weak masculine nouns. Context usually tells you whether it’s one neighbor or multiple. If you need to be explicit, you could say nágranna okkar tvo (our two neighbors) or nágrannann okkar (our one neighbor, using the definite accusative).

Could you say á sunnudaginn instead of á sunnudag? What’s the difference?

Yes. á sunnudaginn is the definite accusative singular (“on the Sunday”), often understood as “this/next Sunday.” á sunnudag is the indefinite accusative, more like “on Sunday” in a general sense (but commonly used for the upcoming Sunday as well).