Athugar þú tölvupóstinn á morgnana?

Do you check email in the mornings?

Breakdown of Athugar þú tölvupóstinn á morgnana?

• þú: you
• á: in
• morguninn: the morning
• tölvupósturinn: the email
• athuga: to check

Questions & Answers about Athugar þú tölvupóstinn á morgnana?

Why does the verb come first in Athugar þú?

In Icelandic yes/no questions, the finite verb moves to the first position (V1/V2 word order). So the statement is Þú athugar tölvupóstinn á morgnana, but the question is Athugar þú tölvupóstinn á morgnana?

What form is athugar, and where is the English “do”?

Athugar is the present tense, 2nd person singular of athuga (to check). Icelandic doesn’t use a “do”-auxiliary; you just conjugate the main verb.

• ég athuga
• þú athugar
• hann/hún/það athugar
• við athugum
• þið athugið
• þeir/þær/þau athuga

What does the ending -inn in tölvupóstinn mean?

It’s the suffixed definite article: tölvupóstur = email (indefinite), tölvupósturinn = the email (definite, nominative), tölvupóstinn = the email (definite, accusative). In this sentence the object is definite. In practice, athuga tölvupóstinn naturally means “check (your) email,” so a possessive is usually not added.

What case is tölvupóstinn, and why not tölvupóstinum?

It’s accusative singular definite, because athuga takes a direct object. -inn is accusative definite. -inum would be dative definite, which you’d use after certain prepositions, not here.

What is tölvupóstur made from?

It’s a compound: tölvu- (genitive of tölva, computer) + póstur (mail). Literally “computer-mail.”

Why is it á morgnana? What exactly does that mean?

Á morgnana is a set time expression meaning “in the mornings” (habitually). Grammatically, it’s the preposition á + accusative plural definite of morgunn (morning): morgnana. Don’t confuse it with morgnanna (genitive plural definite).

How would I talk about a specific morning instead of a habitual one?

• “this morning”: í morgun
• “tomorrow morning”: í fyrramálið
• “on that (particular) morning”: á morgninum (dative singular definite) Note that á morgun means “tomorrow” (the day), not “in the morning.”

Can I move the time phrase around?

Yes, but keep Icelandic word order rules:

• Neutral: Athugar þú tölvupóstinn á morgnana?
• Fronted for emphasis/topic: Á morgnana athugar þú tölvupóstinn? Putting á morgnana between verb and object (e.g., Athugar þú á morgnana tölvupóstinn?) is possible but usually less natural.

How would this sound in everyday colloquial speech?

Very commonly as Athugarðu tölvupóstinn á morgnana? Here þú cliticizes onto the verb: athugar þú → athugarðu. You’ll hear this pattern a lot (e.g., hefur þú → hefurðu, ert þú → ertu).

Do I need to say “your” — tölvupóstinn þinn?

Usually no. Possession is clear from context, so athuga tölvupóstinn is the natural way to say “check your email.” Adding þinn can sound redundant unless you need to contrast owners (e.g., not someone else’s email).

Are there natural synonyms for athuga here?

Yes:

• skoðar þú tölvupóstinn á morgnana? (look at)
• kíkir þú á tölvupóstinn á morgnana? (have a quick look; takes á
  • accusative)
• Colloquial: tékka(ru) á tölvupóstinum á morgnana? (check on; takes á
  • dative: tölvupóstinum)

How do I negate the question?

Insert ekki after the verb:

• Formal: Athugar þú ekki tölvupóstinn á morgnana?
• Colloquial: Athugarðu ekki tölvupóstinn á morgnana?

How do people typically answer yes/no to this?

You can answer with just Já or Nei, or echo the verb for clarity:

• Já, ég athuga (hann) á morgnana.
• Nei, ég athuga hann ekki á morgnana.