Questions & Answers about Við tölum um veðrið.
Why is it tölum and not tala?
Because the subject is við (we). Present tense agreement adds the ending -um for 1st person plural, and u-umlaut changes a → ö before -um. Mini paradigm:
- ég tala
- þú talar
- hann/hún/það talar
- við tölum
- þið talið
- þeir/þær/þau tala
What does the preposition um do here, and which case does it take?
It means “about” (topic) and governs the accusative case. So you get um veðrið. Other senses of um: “around” (space/time) and “approximately,” also with accusative (e.g., um klukkan þrjú = around three o’clock).
Why is it veðrið (definite “the weather”) and not just veður?
Icelandic often uses the definite for familiar, generic topics like the weather. Um veðrið sounds most idiomatic. Um veður is possible but feels more like “about weather (in general).”
Which case is veðrið in, and how can I tell?