Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Við undirbúum ferðina í kvöld, annars gleymum við of miklu. - We prepare the trip tonight; otherwise we forget too much.

Icelandic main clauses follow the “verb-second” (V2) rule: the finite verb sits in second position. If you start a clause with an adverb like annars (otherwise), the verb must come next, and the subject follows: annars gleymum við…. Without an initial adverb, you’d say Við gleymum of miklu (subject first, verb second). Examples:

Í kvöld undirbúum við ferðina.
Svo hringi ég.
Annars gleymum við þessu.

Why is it ferðina and not ferð or ferðinni?

ferðina is the definite accusative singular (“the trip”), because:
- Icelandic marks definiteness with a suffix, not a separate word: ferð (trip) → ferðin/ferðina (the trip).
- undirbúa (“to prepare”) takes a direct object in the accusative.
So: Við undirbúum ferðina = “We are preparing the trip.”
Other forms:
- ferð: indefinite, nominative/accusative (“a trip”).
- ferðinni: definite dative, which you’d use after certain prepositions or with verbs that require dative—not the case here.

Why of miklu instead of of mikið after gleymum?

gleyma (“to forget”) governs the dative case: you forget something “to” the dative in Icelandic.
mikið is neuter singular nominative/accusative of the adjective mikill (“much”). The dative neuter singular is miklu.
Therefore: gleymum of miklu (“we forget too much”) is correct; of mikið would be wrong here because it’s not in the dative.
Nuance: You could also say gleymum of mörgu (“too many things”), using margur (“many”) in dative neuter singular (mörgu), which stresses number rather than amount. of miklu stresses overall quantity.

What’s the difference between of and af? They look like English “of”.

of (Icelandic) is an adverb meaning “too/overly”: of heitt = “too hot,” of mikið = “too much.”
af is the preposition “of/from”: mikið af vatni = “a lot of water,” af borðinu = “off/from the table.” In the sentence, of means “too,” not the English preposition “of.”

Why is there no future auxiliary? Could I say munum gleyma?

Icelandic often uses the present tense for future meaning when context makes the time clear (e.g., í kvöld “tonight”). So annars gleymum við of miklu naturally means “otherwise we’ll forget too much.” You can say annars munum við gleyma of miklu for an explicit future; both are correct. The version without munum is very natural and common.

Is the comma before annars correct?

Yes. You’re joining two main clauses: Við undirbúum… and (Annars) gleymum við…. Icelandic allows a comma there, and it’s common to use one before annars. A semicolon or a period would also be fine stylistically.

What case is í kvöld? Could I say í kvöldi?

í kvöld is a fixed time expression meaning “tonight,” with kvöld in the accusative (neuter; form looks the same as nominative).
í kvöldi (dative) exists but is rare/old-fashioned in this meaning. Modern, natural Icelandic for “tonight” is í kvöld.
Related contrasts:
- í dag = today
- á kvöldin = in the evenings (habitual)
- um kvöldið = in the evening (on that evening)

How are undirbúa and gleyma conjugated?

undirbúa (to prepare; irregular, related to búa):
- Present: ég undirbý, þú undirbýrð, hann/hún/það undirbýr, við undirbúum, þið undirbúið, þeir/þær/þau undirbúa
- Past: ég undirbjó, þú undirbjóst, hann undirbjó, við undirbjuggum, þið undirbjugguð, þau undirbjuggu
gleyma (to forget; weak verb, dative object):
- Present: ég gleymi, þú gleymir, hann gleymir, við gleymum, þið gleymið, þau gleyma
- Past: ég gleymdi, þú gleymdir, hann gleymdi, við gleymdum, þið gleymduð, þau gleymdu
- Supine/pp: gleymt

Can I move í kvöld to the front or elsewhere?

Yes. Icelandic is flexible with adverbials as long as V2 is respected:

Í kvöld undirbúum við ferðina, annars gleymum við of miklu. (time first → verb second)
Við undirbúum ferðina í kvöld, annars gleymum við of miklu. (as given) Avoid splitting the verb and its direct object with the time phrase unless there’s a special emphasis; Við undirbúum í kvöld ferðina sounds marked or awkward in neutral speech.

What’s the difference between gleyma and gleymast?

gleyma = “to forget” (active; someone forgets something + dative): Við gleymum of miklu.
gleymast = “to be forgotten” (middle/passive-like, no agent): Of margt gleymist = “too many things get forgotten.”
Your sentence focuses on the agents (“we”), so gleyma is right.

Any pronunciation tips for við, undirbúum, gleymum, kvöld?

við: ð like the “th” in “this”; stress on the only syllable: [vɪːð].
undirbúum: stress on the first syllable (Icelandic default). ú = long “oo” (as in “food”); final -um like “oom.”
gleymum: ey sounds like English “ay” in “say”; stress on the first syllable: “GLAY-mum.”
kvöld: ö is like rounded “e” (between “uh” and “eu”); the ð is not pronounced here; it sounds roughly like “kvölt” with a voiceless “l.”

Does undirbúa relate to búa “to live,” and what does the prefix do?

Yes. búa is a very common verb meaning “to live/reside,” but with prefixes it takes on related meanings like “prepare” (búa til = make, undirbúa = prepare). The prefix undir- literally means “under,” but in compounds like undirbúa it contributes a sense of “pre- / getting ready beforehand.”