Við komum seint vegna mikillar umferðar.

We arrive late because of heavy traffic.

Breakdown of Við komum seint vegna mikillar umferðar.

• við: we
• seint: late
• mikill: much
• umferðin: the traffic

Questions & Answers about Við komum seint vegna mikillar umferðar.

Is komum past or present here?

It can be either. Komum is both 1st person plural present and past of koma.

• Present: við komum = we come (e.g., habitually)
• Past: við komum = we came/arrived Context decides which is meant. In a sentence like this, past is the most likely reading unless there’s clear habitual context.

Why is it seint and not sein(n)?

Seint is an adverb (“late”) modifying the verb komum (“arrive”). The adjective seinn/sein/seint describes nouns (“a late guest”), but with verbs you use the adverb:

• Arrived late: Við komum seint.
• Were late (describing us): Við vorum seinir (mixed/men) / Við vorum seinar (women).

What case does vegna take, and is that why it’s mikillar umferðar?

Vegna always governs the genitive. That’s why you see:

• mikill (much/great) → feminine genitive singular mikillar
• umferð (traffic, fem.) → genitive singular umferðar If you meant “because of the heavy traffic” (definite), you’d say vegna mikillar umferðarinnar.

Could I use instead of ?