Við erum úti.

We are outside.

Breakdown of Við erum úti.

• vera: to be
• við: we
• úti: outside

Questions & Answers about Við erum úti.

How do you pronounce the sentence, especially the special letters?

• Við: roughly “vith,” with the th like in this (voiced). Short i (as in sit). The letter ð (eth) is that voiced th sound.
• erum: “EH-rum.” Short e (as in bed). Lightly tap or trill the r. The u is like the u in put.
• úti: “OO-ti.” ú is a long “oo” (as in food). Stress the first syllable: Ú-ti. Icelandic generally stresses the first syllable. The t is crisper and less strongly aspirated than English t.

What is that letter ð in Við, and how is it different from þ?

• ð (eth) = voiced th, like in this, that.
• þ (thorn) = voiceless th, like in thin, thing. So Við ends with the sound in “this,” not “thin.”

Why is the verb second in the sentence?

Icelandic main clauses follow a verb‑second pattern. The finite verb comes in second position:

• Við (subject) + erum (verb) + úti (rest). If another element is placed first, the verb is still second: Núna erum við úti (“Now we are outside”).