Ég uppfæri forritið þegar ég kem heim.

I update the app when I come home.

Breakdown of Ég uppfæri forritið þegar ég kem heim.

• ég: I
• þegar: when
• heim: home
• koma: to come
• uppfæra: to update
• forritið: the app

Questions & Answers about Ég uppfæri forritið þegar ég kem heim.

Why is the present tense used to talk about the future in Ég uppfæri forritið þegar ég kem heim?

Icelandic often uses the present tense for future meaning when the time reference is clear (here, the clause with þegar makes it future). So the sentence naturally means I’ll update the program when I get home. You can also make the future explicit:

• Ég mun uppfæra forritið þegar ég kem heim. (neutral future prediction)
• Ég ætla að uppfæra forritið þegar ég kem heim. (intention: I’m going to…)

Why is it kem and not koma?

Koma is the infinitive (to come). Kem is the 1st person singular present. Present of koma:

• ég kem
• þú kemur
• hann/hún/það kemur
• við komum
• þið komið
• þeir/þær/þau koma

What does uppfæri tell me about the verb uppfæra?

Uppfæri is 1st person singular present indicative of uppfæra (to update). Present forms:

• ég uppfæri
• þú uppfærir
• hann/hún/það uppfærir
• við uppfærum
• þið uppfærið
• þeir/þær/þau uppfæra Past: uppfærði; past participle: uppfært.

What exactly is forritið, and why the ending -ið?

Forrit is a neuter noun meaning program/app. The definite article is a suffix in Icelandic. Neuter singular definite takes -ið, so:

• forrit = a program
• forritið = the program

Is forritið in the accusative case here?

Yes. It’s the direct object of uppfæri, so it’s in the accusative. For neuter nouns, nominative and accusative singular look the same:

• nominative sg: forrit
• accusative sg: forrit
• dative sg: forriti
• genitive sg: forrits Definite nominative/accusative sg: forritið.

Why is it heim and not heima or til heim?

• heim = to home, homewards (direction/motion). Works without a preposition: koma heim, fara heim.
• heima = at home (location/state): Ég er heima.
• til isn’t used for your own home. Use heim til only when saying to someone’s home: fara heim til Jóns.

What’s the word order rule here? Could I start with the time clause?

Main clauses are verb-second (V2): Ég uppfæri forritið … (subject + finite verb). If you front the time clause, the main verb still stays in 2nd position in the main clause:

• Þegar ég kem heim, uppfæri ég forritið. In the subordinate clause after þegar, the order is subject–verb–…:
• ég kem heim (not verb-final).

Do I need a comma before þegar?

Not necessarily. A comma is often omitted before a short þegar-clause in Icelandic. If you front the time clause, many writers put a comma after it: Þegar ég kem heim, uppfæri ég forritið.

Could the sentence be habitual rather than future?

Yes. Present + þegar can be habitual: I update the program when I get home (whenever that happens). Context decides whether it’s a one-off future or a habit.

Can I say something like “when I am home” instead of “when I come home”?

Yes: Ég uppfæri forritið þegar ég er kominn heim. That focuses on the state of already being home. Note gender agreement:

• male speaker: kominn
• female speaker: komin
• neuter/impersonal: komið

Is þegar ever used like English “if”? What’s the difference from ef and á meðan?

• þegar = when (time)
• ef = if (condition)
• á meðan = while (simultaneous duration) So use ef for conditions, not þegar.

Can I drop ég like in some languages?

No. Icelandic is not generally pro‑drop. You keep the subject pronoun: Ég uppfæri …, ég kem … (imperatives are a different story).

Can I front the object for emphasis?

Yes, for emphasis on the object:

• Forritið uppfæri ég þegar ég kem heim. This stresses that it’s the program (and not something else) that you’ll update. The main clause remains V2: object first, then the finite verb.

Any pronunciation tips for the sentence?

• Ég starts with a y-sound (like English y in yes); the final g is a soft fricative.
• þ in þegar is the unvoiced th in English think.
• æ in uppfæri sounds like English eye.
• Double pp in upp- is preaspirated: you may hear a slight h before p.
• rr is a rolled/trilled r.
• Final ð in forritið is like the th in English this, but often weak.
• Primary stress is on the first syllable of each word.

Is there any ambiguity in þegar?

Yes: þegar can also be an adverb meaning already, e.g. Hann er þegar farinn (He has already left). In your sentence, þegar is the conjunction when. Context makes it clear.