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Questions & Answers about Við tölum rólega saman.
What does Við mean, and what case is it in?
Við means we and it’s the nominative (subject) form. Other common forms of this pronoun:
- Accusative/Dative: okkur (us)
- Genitive: okkar (our/ours)
Why is it tölum and not tala?
Tölum is the 1st person plural present tense of tala (to speak). The ending -um marks 1st person plural. The vowel changes from a → ö because of a historical sound process (u-umlaut) triggered by the u in the ending.
Present tense of tala:
- ég tala
- þú talar
- hann/hún/það talar
- við tölum
- þið tið? No: þið talið
- þeir/þær/þau tala
Can tölum also mean let’s talk?
Yes. As a standalone form (without a stated subject), Tölum (saman)! works as a 1st‑person‑plural imperative/subjunctive: Let’s talk (together)! In your sentence, adding Við makes it a plain statement, not a suggestion.
What part of speech is rólega, and how is it formed?
Rólega is an adverb meaning “calmly,” formed from the adjective rólegur (calm) with the adverbial suffix ‑lega. As an adverb, rólega does not change for gender, number, or case. Contrast:
- Adjective: rólegur/róleg/rólegt (calm)
- Adverb: rólega (calmly)
Related nuances:
- rólega = calmly, gently (manner)
- hægt = slowly (speed)
- hljótt or lágt = quietly/softly (volume)
What does saman add to the meaning?
Saman means “together” and with tala it signals reciprocity: tala saman = “talk to each other.” Without it, tala just means “speak/talk” in general. You can also express reciprocity with a preposition: tala við hvort annað = “talk to each other.”
Can I leave out saman?
Yes, but the meaning shifts:
- Við tölum rólega = We talk/speak calmly (not necessarily to each other).
- Við tölum rólega saman = We talk calmly to each other.
Where do rólega and saman go? Is Við tölum saman rólega also correct?
Both are acceptable:
- Við tölum rólega saman.
- Við tölum saman rólega.
General points:
- Icelandic main clauses are V2 (the finite verb is in 2nd position): Subject–Verb–(adverbs/objects).
- Tala saman is a common collocation, so many speakers prefer to keep saman close to tala, but inserting an adverb between them (as in your sentence) is fine.
- With more material, you often place extra phrases later: Við tölum (saman) rólega um málið. (We talk calmly about the matter.)
How do I make this negative or turn it into a yes/no question?
- Negative: place ekki after the finite verb.
- Við tölum ekki rólega saman.
- Við tölum ekki saman rólega.
- Yes/No question: put the finite verb first.
- Tölum við rólega saman? No auxiliary like “do” is used.
Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?
- Stress is always on the first syllable of each word: Við, tö‑lum, ró‑lega, sa‑man.
- ð in Við is the voiced th (as in this).
- ö in tölum is like German ö; think the vowel in English “nurse” but rounded.
- u in tölum is a short, fronted vowel (like German ü, short).
- ó in rólega is a long “oh.”
- g between vowels (as in rólega) is usually a soft [ɣ] sound.
Does Icelandic have a special “am/is/are …‑ing” form? Why is simple present used here?
Icelandic generally uses the simple present for both “we talk” and “we are talking.” Context clarifies whether it’s ongoing or habitual.
Is við ever something other than “we”?
Yes. Við is also a very common preposition meaning roughly “by/at/with/against,” and it governs the accusative (e.g., við vegginn = by/against the wall). In your sentence, Við is clearly the pronoun “we.”
How would I say “... about X” with this sentence?
Use um (about):
- Við tölum rólega saman um málið. (… about the matter)
- Við tölum saman rólega um þetta. (… about this)