Við viljum frekar borða heima.

We would rather eat at home.

Breakdown of Við viljum frekar borða heima.

• borða: to eat
• vilja: to want
• við: we
• heima: at home
• frekar: rather

Questions & Answers about Við viljum frekar borða heima.

What form is the verb viljum, and how does vilja conjugate?

viljum is the 1st‑person plural present of vilja (to want). Present tense:

• ég vil
• þú vilt
• hann/hún/það vill
• við viljum
• þið viljið
• þeir/þær/þau vilja

Past (for reference): ég vildi, við vildum.

Why is there no að before borða?

After modal auxiliaries like vilja, munu, skulu, mega, the next verb is a bare infinitive (no að): Við viljum borða...
Many other verbs do take að: Við reynum að borða heima.

What does frekar mean here, and where should it go?

frekar means “rather/preferably.” Default placement is after the finite verb and before the main infinitive: Við viljum frekar borða heima.
It can move for emphasis, but keep the finite verb in second position: Heima viljum við frekar borða is also fine.

Can I use heldur instead of frekar?

Yes. Við viljum heldur borða heima is very natural.
With an explicit contrast, both frekar en and heldur en mean “rather than”: Við viljum borða heima frekar en (eða: heldur en) úti.

How do I say “rather than” with a verb?

Use frekar en (or heldur en) and either repeat the verb or restructure:

• Við viljum frekar borða heima en borða úti.
• More idiomatic: Við viljum frekar borða heima en fara út að borða.
• You can omit the second verb when clear: ... frekar en úti.

What’s the difference between heima and heim?

• heima = at home (location): Ég er heima.
• heim = (to) home (direction): Ég fer heim.

Does heima automatically mean “at our home,” or do I need hjá okkur?

By default, heima refers to the subject’s home, so here it naturally means “at our place.”
To specify whose place: heima hjá mér/þér/honum/henni/okkur/ykkur/þeim.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Við viljum borða frekar heima?

Main clause V2 applies (finite verb in 2nd position). Natural options:

• Við viljum frekar borða heima. (default)
• Heima viljum við frekar borða. (place focus)

Við viljum borða frekar heima is understandable but less idiomatic; it can sound like frekar modifies the place rather than the preference.

Where does ekki go if I want to negate it?

Put ekki after the finite verb (and after frekar if both appear):

• Simple negation: Við viljum ekki borða heima.
• For the sense we’d rather not: Við viljum frekar ekki borða heima.
  More idiomatic is to state the preferred alternative: Við viljum heldur borða úti (en ekki heima).

Is borða the only verb for eating?

borða is the normal everyday verb for people. eta exists but is formal/archaic or used for animals.
With an object you use the accusative: Við viljum frekar borða kvöldmat heima.

How would I put this in the past or future?

• Past: Við vildum frekar borða heima.
• Future‑like with munu: Við munum frekar borða heima.

Is there a softer, more tentative way to say it (like English would rather)?

Yes:

• Conditional: Við myndum frekar vilja borða heima.
• Using helst (preferably/most of all): Við viljum helst borða heima.
• Using kjósa (to prefer): Við kýsum frekar að borða heima.

Any pronunciation tips?

• Við: [vɪð] (voiced dental fricative at the end).
• viljum: [ˈvɪljʏm] (stress on first syllable).
• frekar: [ˈfrɛːkar] (long e).
• borða: [ˈpɔrða] (trilled r
  • ð).
• heima: [ˈheiːma].

Can Icelandic drop the subject like Spanish?

Generally no. Icelandic is not pro‑drop, so you keep við: Við viljum...

Why isn’t there a definite article with heima?

Because heima is an adverb (“at home”), not a noun, so it doesn’t take an article. If you used a noun, you’d see forms like heimilið or húsið, but that would require a different structure.