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Questions & Answers about Ég fæ svar.
Why is the subject pronoun “ég” used here instead of “mig”?
In Icelandic the subject of a sentence always takes the nominative form. ég is the nominative (I), whereas mig is the accusative (me) and is used for direct objects or after prepositions—not as the subject.
Why does “fá” become “fæ” in this sentence?
fá is an irregular strong verb. In the present tense 1st person singular, á changes to æ. So you get ég fæ (“I get”), while the infinitive remains fá.
How do I pronounce the letter “æ” in “fæ”?
The Icelandic æ is pronounced like the English word “eye” (IPA [ai]). Thus fæ sounds roughly like English “fai” in “five” (without the v).
What case and form is the noun “svar”? Shouldn’t it take an ending?
svar is a neuter noun in the singular, indefinite form. Neuter nouns in the nominative and accusative singular have no ending. That’s why you see svar, not svari or svarið here.
When do I use the definite form “svarið”?
To say “I get the answer,” you add the definite suffix -ið to svar, giving svarið. So: Ég fæ svarið.
Why is there no equivalent of “a” or “an” before svar?
Icelandic has no separate article like “a” or “an.” Indefiniteness is shown by simply using the noun in its indefinite form (no ending). Definite nouns take a suffix instead.
Can I drop “ég” since the verb form already shows the subject?
Unlike fully pro-drop languages, Icelandic normally keeps the subject pronoun for clarity. Saying just fæ svar sounds like an incomplete phrase or an imperative (“get an answer!”), so you should include ég.
How would I say “I will get an answer”?
Use the future auxiliary mun plus the infinitive: Ég mun fá svar. Alternatively, in more formal or older style you might see Ég skal fá svar, but mun is standard.
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