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Questions & Answers about Ég hef áhyggjur núna.
Why does Icelandic say “I have worries” with hafa instead of “I am worried”?
Because að hafa áhyggjur is the idiomatic way to express being worried in Icelandic. Literally it’s “to have worries,” but it maps to English “to be worried.” Using hafa here is completely normal and the most common way to say it.
Why is áhyggjur plural?
The noun áhyggja (worry/concern) is almost always used in the plural when referring to the feeling in general: áhyggjur = “worries.” The singular exists but is rare and tends to mean a specific type or item of concern. You’ll also see set phrases like Engar áhyggjur! (“No worries!”).
What case is áhyggjur in here, and why?
Accusative plural. The verb hafa is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative. For this noun:
- Nom./Acc. pl.: áhyggjur
- Dat. pl.: áhyggjum
- Gen. pl.: áhyggna
Can I say Ég er áhyggjur?
No. Áhyggjur is a noun, so you can’t use it directly with vera (“to be”). Use one of these:
- Ég hef áhyggjur. (most common)
- Ég er áhyggjufullur (if you’re male) / Ég er áhyggjufull (if you’re female).
How do I say “I’m worried about X”?
Use áhyggjur af + dative:
- Ég hef áhyggjur af þér. (I’m worried about you.)
- Ég hef áhyggjur af prófinu. (…about the exam.)
- Ég hef áhyggjur af framtíðinni. (…about the future.) Note: af governs the dative, so you get forms like þér, prófinu, framtíðinni.
Where can I put núna in the sentence?
All of these are fine, with slight differences in emphasis:
- Ég hef áhyggjur núna. (default, very natural)
- Núna hef ég áhyggjur. (fronts “now” for emphasis; verb stays in 2nd position)
- Ég hef núna áhyggjur. (possible, but less common/neutral than the first)
How do I negate this?
Two common options:
- Ég hef ekki áhyggjur (núna). = “I’m not worried (now).” Neutral negation.
- Ég hef engar áhyggjur (núna). = “I have no worries (now).” Stronger; uses engar (fem. acc. pl.) agreeing with áhyggjur.
What’s the difference between núna and nú?
Both can mean “now,” but:
- núna is the everyday, straightforward “now.”
- nú can be more formal or contrastive and also works as a discourse particle (“Now, …” / “Well, …”). In this sentence, núna is the most neutral.
Is Ég er með áhyggjur acceptable?
Yes, it’s common colloquially. Vera með + noun often means “to be experiencing/having (right now).” So:
- Ég er með áhyggjur (af X). ≈ “I’m (currently) worried (about X).” It’s close in meaning to Ég hef áhyggjur, with a slightly more “at the moment” feel.
Are there other natural ways to say “I’m worried”?
Yes:
- Adjective: Ég er áhyggjufullur/áhyggjufull.
- Anxiety/dread: Ég er kvíðinn/kvíðin. Or verb: Ég kvíði prófinu. (“I dread/am anxious about the exam.”) Note kvíða takes the dative.
- Stress: Ég er stressaður/stressuð. (More “stressed” than “worried,” but often used.)
Is hef here the perfect auxiliary (“I have …”)?
No. Here hef is the main verb hafa (“to have”). If you wanted the perfect, you’d combine hafa with a past participle, e.g. Ég hef haft áhyggjur (“I have been worried / I have had worries”). Simple past is Ég hafði áhyggjur (“I was worried / I had worries”).
Any quick pronunciation tips for the whole sentence?
Roughly: “Yeh hev OW-higg-yur NOO-nah.”
- Ég ≈ “yeh” (final consonant is very soft or absent in casual speech).
- hef with short e like in “get.”
- á in áhyggjur like ow in “cow.”
- y in áhyggjur like short i in “bit.”
- gj is a palatalized “gy” sound.
- núna with clear long “ú” (like “oo” in “food”).
How would I say “I have no worries now”?
Ég hef engar áhyggjur núna. In casual reassurance, you’ll also hear Engar áhyggjur! (“No worries!”).
Why not Ég á áhyggjur?
Að eiga is “to own/possess” and isn’t used for states or feelings like worries. Use hafa for this idiom: hafa áhyggjur.
Can I drop Ég like Spanish/Italian does?
No. Icelandic is not a pro-drop language in normal speech, so you keep the subject pronoun: Ég hef áhyggjur núna.