Ég geri morgunmat heima.

I make breakfast at home.

Breakdown of Ég geri morgunmat heima.

• ég: I
• heima: at home
• morgunmatur: the breakfast
• gera: to make

Questions & Answers about Ég geri morgunmat heima.

Is the verb gera natural here, or should I use something else for making breakfast?

Gera (do/make) is fine and widely understood. Alternatives:

• búa til = prepare/make (very common and neutral): Ég bý til morgunmat heima.
• útbúa = prepare (a bit formal): Ég útbý morgunmat heima.
• elda = cook (implies cooking something): Ég elda morgunmat heima. If you specifically mean cooking a hot breakfast, elda fits; for general preparing, búa til is very idiomatic. Gera morgunmat is casual but acceptable.

Why is it morgunmat and not morgunmatur?

Because morgunmat is the accusative singular form used as the direct object of gera. The base noun is masculine:

• Nominative: morgunmatur (subject form)
• Accusative: morgunmat (object form)

Why is there no word for the English article a or the? When would I use a definite form?

Meals in Icelandic are usually used without an article when speaking generally, so morgunmat has no article. Use the definite form when a specific breakfast is meant:

• Hver gerir morgunmatinn? – Who is making the breakfast?
• Ég geri morgunmatinn. – I am making the breakfast.

What exactly does heima mean? Why not á heima?

Heima is an adverb meaning at home, so no preposition is used. Do not say á heima. To specify whose home, use heima hjá + dative:

• heima hjá mér (at my place), heima hjá þér, heima hjá honum/henni, heima hjá okkur, heima hjá ykkur, heima hjá þeim.

Is Ég geri heima morgunmat acceptable word order?

That sounds unnatural. The neutral order is object before place adverbial: Ég geri morgunmat heima. You can front the place for emphasis: Heima geri ég morgunmat.

How do I negate this sentence?

Place ekki after the finite verb: Ég geri ekki morgunmat heima. With frequency adverbs: Ég geri aldrei/oft/sjaldan morgunmat heima.

How do I turn it into a yes/no question?

Invert with the finite verb first:

• Gerir þú morgunmat heima? (You singular)
• Common spoken contraction: Gerirðu morgunmat heima? For first person: Geri ég morgunmat heima?

What are the main forms of gera I should know?

• Present: ég geri, þú gerir, hann/hún/það gerir, við gerum, þið gerið, þeir/þær/þau gera
• Past: ég gerði, þú gerðir, hann/hún/það gerði, við gerðum, þið gerðuð, þeir/þær/þau gerðu
• Past participle/supine: gert

Pronunciation tips for the sentence?

• Ég: roughly YEH; the final consonant can be a soft, often weak, sound.
• geri: initial g before e/i is palatal; it can sound like a tight k/g + y. Think GYEH-ri/KYEH-ri.
• morgunmat: MOR-gun-maat; trilled r; the a in mat is long.
• heima: HAY-ma (ei as in day). Stress is always on the first syllable in Icelandic words.

Can I drop Ég like in Spanish or Italian?

No. Icelandic is not a pro-drop language. You normally include the subject pronoun: Ég geri..., Þú gerir..., etc.

If I mean I eat breakfast (not make it), what should I say?

Use borða (eat) or fá mér (get myself):

• Ég borða morgunmat heima.
• Ég fæ mér morgunmat heima.

Is morgunverður the same as morgunmatur?

Both can mean breakfast. Morgunmatur is the everyday word. Morgunverður is more formal/literary and common in hotel/restaurant contexts (menus, signs).

How does morgunmatur decline (singular)?

• Nom: morgunmatur
• Acc: morgunmat
• Dat: morgunmat
• Gen: morgunmatar Definite forms: morgunmaturinn, morgunmatinn, morgunmatnum, morgunmatarins.

Where do frequency adverbs go in this sentence?

They go after the finite verb:

• Ég geri alltaf/yfirleitt/oft/sjaldan/sjaldnast morgunmat heima.

How would I say it in the past or future?

• Past: Ég gerði morgunmat heima.
• Future/intention: Ég mun gera morgunmat heima. / Ég ætla að gera morgunmat heima.

What is the difference between heim and heima?

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