Síminn hringir núna.

now

Breakdown of Síminn hringir núna.

• hringja: to ring
• síminn: the phone

Questions & Answers about Síminn hringir núna.

Why does Síminn mean “the phone”? Where is the word “the”?

Icelandic puts the definite article at the end of the noun. The base noun is sími (phone). To say “the phone,” you add the suffixed article -inn (masculine nom. sg.): sími + inn → síminn. So Síminn hringir núna literally reads “Phone-the rings now.”

Can I say Sími hringir núna without the article?

It’s grammatical but odd in most contexts. English “A phone is ringing now” is already unusual; in Icelandic you normally mean a specific, known phone, so you use the definite: Síminn hringir (núna).

What’s the verb’s base form and how is it conjugated in the present?

The infinitive is að hringja (“to ring; to call”). Present tense:

• ég hringi (I ring)
• þú hringir
• hann/hún/það hringir
• við hringjum
• þið hringið
• þeir/þær/þau hringja

English says “is ringing.” Why is Icelandic using simple present hringir?

Icelandic often uses simple present for actions happening right now. Síminn hringir (núna) naturally means “The phone is ringing (now).” You can also use the progressive-like construction Síminn er að hringja (núna), which focuses on the ongoing process. Both are fine; simple present is very common.