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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).