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Questions & Answers about Okkur líkar veðrið í dag.
Why is it okkur instead of við?
Because að líka is used “impersonally”: the experiencer of liking gets dative case. Okkur is the dative of við (we). The thing liked, veðrið, is the grammatical subject in nominative and controls agreement on the verb. Literal idea: “To us pleases the weather today.”
Why is the verb líkar singular when okkur is plural?
The verb agrees with the nominative subject (veðrið, singular), not with the dative experiencer. If the liked thing is plural, the verb is plural: Okkur líka bílarnir (We like the cars).
What case is veðrið, and why the definite ending -ið?
Veðrið is nominative singular with the suffixed definite article (-ið). With líka, the thing liked is in nominative because it’s the subject. The definite is natural here because you mean the specific weather today; bare veður usually means “weather” in general.
Can I say Okkur líkar við veðrið í dag?
Grammatically possible, but líka við is most common with people and often feels more “personal” (be fond of). For neutral liking of things/situations, Icelanders typically use mér/okkur líkar X without við. For people: Mér líkar vel við hana (I like her).
How do I say it with other persons (I/you/he/she/they)?
Use the dative pronoun and keep agreement with the thing liked:
- Mér líkar veðrið í dag.
- Þér líkar veðrið í dag.
- Honum/Henni líkar veðrið í dag.
- Ykkur líkar veðrið í dag.
- Þeim líkar veðrið í dag.
How do I negate it?
Put ekki after the verb: Okkur líkar ekki veðrið í dag. If you specifically mean “it’s today we don’t like it,” you can say Okkur líkar veðrið ekki í dag, which puts focus on “today.”
What happens if the liked thing is plural?
The verb becomes plural líka:
- Present: Okkur líka bílarnir.
- Past: Okkur líkuðu bílarnir. Compare singular: Okkur líkar bíllinn. / Okkur líkaði bíllinn.
Can I change the word order?
Yes. Icelandic is verb-second (V2), so the finite verb sits in second position, but you can front different elements for emphasis:
- Í dag líkar okkur veðrið.
- Veðrið líkar okkur í dag. The original order is the most neutral.
How do I ask a question?
Invert the verb for yes–no: Líkar ykkur veðrið í dag? For a wh-question: Hvernig líkar þér veðrið í dag? (How do you like the weather today?)
How do I put it in the past or perfect?
- Past (singular subject): Okkur líkaði veðrið í gær.
- Past (plural subject): Okkur líkuðu bílarnir í gær.
- Present perfect (no explicit nominative subject): Okkur hefur alltaf líkað þetta. If the nominative subject is plural, the auxiliary agrees: Bílarnir hafa alltaf líkað okkur.
Why is it í dag (accusative), not í degi (dative)?
With time expressions, í takes the accusative: í dag, í gær, í vetur. For static location, í takes the dative: í rigningunni (in the rain), í húsinu (in the house).
Any quick pronunciation tips?
- Okkur: pre‑aspirated kk, roughly “oh-kur,” stress on the first syllable.
- líkar: long í (“lee-kar”).
- veðrið: “veh-thrith” (voiced th for ð, final -ið like “-ith”).
- í dag: “ee daugh” (final g is a soft fricative). Word stress is always on the first syllable.
Is líkar related to the adjective líkur (“similar”)?
No. Líkar is the verb líka (to be pleasing), while líkur (with u) is an adjective meaning “similar/probable.” Different words.
Is líka here the same word as the adverb líka (“also”)?
Different functions, same spelling. Here it’s the verb. The adverb goes after the verb: Okkur líkar líka veðrið í dag (We also like the weather today). Don’t confuse plural-verb líka with the adverb.
Can the “thing liked” be a verb/clause?
Yes. Use an infinitive or clause as the subject; the verb stays singular: Okkur líkar að ganga (We like to walk). Okkur líkar þegar það er sól (We like it when it’s sunny).
How do I say “We like the good weather today”?
Use a weak (definite) adjective before the definite noun: Okkur líkar góða veðrið í dag. (Adjectives modifying a noun with the suffixed article take weak endings.)
Is there a more “opinion-like” alternative to líkar?
Yes: finnast (to find/feel/think) with an adjective: Okkur finnst veðrið gott í dag. It also takes a dative experiencer and is very common for opinions.
How do I know okkur here is dative, not accusative?
Formally they look the same, but að líka selects dative for the experiencer. You can see it with pronouns that differ: Mér líkar veðrið (dative), not Mig líkar veðrið (accusative—ungrammatical).