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Við missum af strætó ef við bíðum of lengi.

Við missum af strætó ef við bíðum of lengi.
We miss the bus if we wait too long.

Breakdown of Við missum af strætó ef við bíðum of lengi.

við
we
strætó
the bus
of
too
ef
if
bíða
to wait
missa af
to miss
lengi
long
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Questions & Answers about Við missum af strætó ef við bíðum of lengi.

What does the verb phrase missa af mean, and how is it different from plain missa?
  • missa af means “to miss (an event/vehicle/opportunity),” i.e., fail to catch/attend something: missa af strætó, missa af fluginu, missa af leiknum.
  • Plain missa means “to lose” (to no longer have): missa símann = “lose the phone.”
  • Don’t say missa strætó for “miss the bus”; use missa af strætó.
Why is it af strætó? What case does af take, and why doesn’t strætó change?
  • af governs the dative case.
  • strætó is an indeclinable colloquial noun (its form doesn’t change), so it looks the same in the dative.
  • With a clearly definite bus, you can say af strætónum (dative definite).
Can I say Við missum strætó without af?
Not for the meaning “miss the bus.” Við missum strætó would literally mean “we lose the bus,” which is odd. Use Við missum af strætó.
Why is it strætó and not the more formal word for bus?

Colloquially, Icelanders say strætó. The formal word is strætisvagn. You could say:

  • Við missum af strætó. (colloquial)
  • Við missum af strætisvagninum. (formal, definite)
When should I use the definite form, like af strætónum, instead of af strætó?
  • af strætó: generic or not specifying which bus (very common colloquially).
  • af strætónum: a specific, known bus (the one we intend to catch). Both are fine; definiteness just adds specificity.
Why are both verbs in the present tense even though this talks about the future?

Icelandic typically uses the present in real conditional sentences:

  • Við missum af strætó ef við bíðum of lengi. You can add munu for a clearer future: Við munum missa af strætó ef við bíðum of lengi, but it’s not required.
How does word order work here, especially with ef?
  • Main clause is verb-second: Við missum af strætó (subject–verb–…).
  • In the ef-clause (a subordinate clause), the verb follows the subject: ef við bíðum of lengi.
  • If you front the ef-clause, keep V2 in the main clause: Ef við bíðum of lengi, missum við af strætó.
What does of mean here? Is it the same as English “of”?

No. Icelandic of means “too (excessively).” Examples:

  • of kalt = too cold
  • of lengi = too long (in time) It’s unrelated to English “of.”
What’s the difference between lengi and langt?
  • lengi: “for a long time” (duration). bíða lengi = wait a long time.
  • langt: “far/long” (distance; sometimes time in set phrases). langt í burtu = far away. For “too long (time),” use of lengi, not of langt.
Why isn’t there eftir after bíða? I learned bíða eftir e-u = “wait for something.”
  • bíða on its own can mean “to wait (for some time).”
  • If you say what you’re waiting for, use eftir + dative: bíða eftir strætó.
  • You could say: ef við bíðum of lengi eftir strætó = “if we wait too long for the bus.”
How do I pronounce the tricky sounds?
  • Við: the ð is a voiced th (as in English “this”).
  • strætó: æ like “eye”; ó like the vowel in “go.”
  • bíðum: í like “ee”; ð again as in “this.”
  • Approximation: “Vith MISS-um av STRAI-toh ef vith BEE-thum ov LENG-yi.”
How do these verbs conjugate in the forms I see?
  • missa (weak): present ég missi, við missum; past ég missti, við misstum; perfect ég hef misst.
  • bíða (strong): present ég bíð, þú bíður, við bíðum; past ég beið, við biðum; perfect ég hef beðið.
Could I use ef að instead of ef?
Colloquially you will hear ef að, but standard written Icelandic prefers just ef.
Is there any punctuation rule if I start with the ef-clause?

Yes. Put a comma after the ef-clause:

  • Ef við bíðum of lengi, missum við af strætó.
What are some other common nouns after missa af?
  • missa af fluginu = miss the flight
  • missa af tækifærinu = miss the opportunity
  • missa af þættinum = miss the (TV) episode All take dative after af (often with definite ending).
How would I say “We missed the bus”?
  • Simple past: Við misstum af strætó.
  • Or with perfect: Við höfum misst af strætó. (we have missed…)
How do I say “We miss you” vs. “We miss the bus”? I’ve heard sakna used.
  • “We miss you”: Við saknum þín. (sakna
    • genitive)
  • “We miss the bus”: Við missum af strætó. Use sakna for missing a person/thing emotionally; missa af for failing to catch/attend.