Ég vona að þú komir í kvöld.

I hope that you come tonight.

Breakdown of Ég vona að þú komir í kvöld.

• ég: I
• þú: you
• koma: to come
• að: that
• í kvöld: tonight
• vona: to hope

Questions & Answers about Ég vona að þú komir í kvöld.

Why is it komir and not kemur after Ég vona að?

Because komir is present subjunctive (viðtengingarháttur nútíð). Verbs of hoping, wishing, wanting, doubting, etc., usually take the subjunctive in the clause introduced by að.

• Ég vona að þú komir… = I hope (not a fact) → subjunctive.
• By contrast, statements of fact take the indicative: Ég veit að þú kemur… (I know you are coming) → indicative kemur.

What mood/tense is komir, and does it refer to the future?

It is present subjunctive, and yes, Icelandic normally uses the present (here: present subjunctive) to refer to future time in subordinate clauses, so it points to tonight.

Can I say Ég vona að þú kemur í kvöld?

Not in standard Icelandic. With vona (hope), the subordinate verb should be in the subjunctive: Ég vona að þú komir í kvöld. The indicative kemur is fine after verbs like vita (know), sjá (see), heyra (hear), etc.: Ég veit að þú kemur í kvöld.

What does í kvöld literally mean?

Literally “in the evening,” but idiomatically “tonight” (this evening).

Is í kvöld the same as í nótt?

No.

• í kvöld = tonight (this evening, before bedtime).
• í nótt = tonight (during the night), i.e., after late evening, while it’s dark/nighttime.

Where do I put the negation?

Place ekki right after the finite verb in the subordinate clause:
Ég vona að þú komir ekki í kvöld.

What is the word order inside að-clauses like að þú komir í kvöld?

Subject–verb–object/adverbial (no main-clause inversion). So: [að] þú (S) komir (V) í kvöld (Adv) is the normal order.

How do I pronounce the sentence?

IPA (one natural option): [jɛːɣ ˈvɔːna a(ð) θuː ˈkʰɔːmɪr iː kʰvœlt]
Notes:

• Ég ≈ “yeh” with a soft, voiced “gh” at the end.
• að þú often sounds like [a θuː] in fast speech (the ð may disappear before þ).
• k is aspirated: komir, kvöld start with a breathy k.
• ö in kvöld ≈ French “eu” in “peur.”
• Final ð in kvöld is realized as a t-sound: [kvœlt].

What are the letters þ and ð, and how do they sound here?

• þ (thorn) = unvoiced “th” as in English “think”: þú [θuː].
• ð (eth) = voiced “th” as in “this,” but it often changes or disappears in clusters; in kvöld it surfaces as a t-sound [t].

What cases are used for þú and kvöld?

• þú is nominative (it’s the subject of komir).
• í kvöld: í with a time expression takes the accusative; kvöld is a neuter noun whose nominative and accusative singular look the same (kvöld), so you don’t see a change.

Can I drop að (the “that”)?

In careful/written Icelandic, keep að. In casual speech some people omit it after certain verbs, but with vona it’s best (and safest) to include it: Ég vona að þú komir…

How else can I express the same idea (e.g., with vonandi or munu)?

• Vonandi kemur þú / kemurðu í kvöld. Using the adverb vonandi (“hopefully”) takes the indicative (kemur), not the subjunctive.
• Ég vona að þú munir koma í kvöld. Adds the auxiliary munu to emphasize “will”; because it’s still under að, munir is subjunctive.
• Ég vonast til að þú komir í kvöld. Using vonast til (“hope/expect”) is also common.

How do I say “I hoped you would come tonight”?

Two natural options:

• Ég vonaði að þú kæmir í kvöld. (past + past subjunctive of koma)
• Ég vonaði að þú myndir koma í kvöld. (past + “would” auxiliary myndi(r)
  • infinitive)

How do I address more than one person?

Use plural þið and the 2nd-person plural verb:
Ég vona að þið komið í kvöld.

Can í kvöld move, or does it have to be at the end?

Default and most natural is at the end of the clause. For emphasis you can front it in the main clause:

• Í kvöld vona ég að þú komir.
  Avoid splitting the subordinate clause as að þú í kvöld komir in normal speech.

What are the relevant forms of koma here?

• Present indicative (facts): ég kem, þú kemur, hann kemur…
• Present subjunctive (after hoping, etc.): ég komi, þú komir, hann komi…
• Past subjunctive (for “would come” style): ég kæmi, þú kæmir, hann kæmi…

Does ég get capitalized like English I?

No. ég is only capitalized at the start of a sentence. English capitalizes I everywhere; Icelandic does not.

Why does kvöld end with a t-sound?

Because in this consonant cluster the written ð is realized as [t], so kvöld is pronounced [kvœlt]. This is a regular phonological pattern in Icelandic for certain clusters.