Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Ég heimsæki ömmu mína á sunnudag og afi segir góða sögu. - I visit my grandmother on Sunday and grandpa tells a good story.

Because it’s in the accusative case. The verb heimsækja (to visit) takes a direct object in the accusative, so feminine noun amma becomes ömmu. The vowel change (a → ö) is a regular pattern in oblique cases.

Nominative: amma (subject)
Accusative: ömmu (direct object)
Dative: ömmu
Genitive: ömmu

Why is it mína and not mín?

Possessive pronouns agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. Ömmu is feminine accusative singular, so the correct form is mína.

Masculine: minn (nom)
Feminine: mín (nom), but accusative singular is mína
Neuter: mitt (nom/acc)

Does Icelandic use articles here? Why no “the” or “a” in ömmu mína?

Icelandic has no separate word for the indefinite article “a.” The definite article is a suffix on the noun (e.g., ömmuna = “the grandmother”). With a possessive like mín, you normally do not add the definite suffix: say ömmu mína, not “ömmuna mína.”

Why is it á sunnudag and not á sunnudaginn?

Both are possible:

á sunnudag = “on Sunday” (neutral)
á sunnudaginn = “on Sunday” (often a particular/upcoming Sunday) For habitual action: á sunnudögum = “on Sundays.” The preposition á takes the accusative for a specific point in time, hence sunnudag (acc. sg.) and sunnudaginn (definite acc. sg.).

How can present tense mean the future (Icelandic heimsæki)?

Icelandic commonly uses the present tense with a time expression to talk about the future. Ég heimsæki ömmu mína á sunnudag = “I will visit my grandmother on Sunday.” You can also use mun for future (e.g., Ég mun heimsækja…), but plain present + time phrase is very common and neutral.

Why does heimsækja end in -i here: heimsæki?

That’s the 1st person singular present ending. A quick present overview:

ég heimsæki
þú heimsækir
hann/hún heimsækir
við heimsækjum
þið heimsækið
þeir/þær/þau heimsækja

Why is it just afi and not afi minn (“my grandfather”)?

For close family members, Icelandic often uses the bare kinship noun in contexts where English would say “my …”. So afi here naturally means “Grandpa (of mine).” If you need to be explicit, you can say afi minn.

Why is it segir and not segi?

Because afi is third person singular. Present tense of segja (to say/tell):

ég segi
þú segir
hann/hún segir
við segjum
þið segið
þeir/þær/þau segja

Why is it góða sögu and not góð sögu or góða söguna?

With an indefinite noun, adjectives take strong endings. Feminine accusative singular of góður is góða: hence góða sögu = “a good story.”
If you mean “the good story,” use the definite form on the noun and the weak adjective: góðu söguna (standard). You may hear góða söguna colloquially, but standard grammar prefers góðu there.

Why is it sögu and not saga?

Because it’s the direct object (accusative) of segir. Feminine noun saga declines to sögu in the accusative (and other oblique cases). The vowel change a → ö is regular here.

Does á sunnudag modify both clauses or just the first?

As written, it most naturally modifies only the first clause (“I visit my grandmother on Sunday”). If you want it to clearly apply to both, either move it to the front or repeat it:

Á sunnudag heimsæki ég ömmu mína og afi segir góða sögu.
Or: … á sunnudag, og afi segir á sunnudag góða sögu. Adding þá (“then”) also helps: … og afi segir þá góða sögu.

Why is there no comma before og?

Modern Icelandic punctuation generally does not place a comma before coordinating og (“and”) that links two main clauses, unless there’s a special reason (e.g., to avoid ambiguity). So the sentence is correctly punctuated without a comma.

Can I start the sentence with the time phrase?

Yes, but remember Icelandic is verb-second (V2) in main clauses. So:

Á sunnudag heimsæki ég ömmu mína og afi segir góða sögu. (Time phrase first; the finite verb heimsæki must be the second element.)

Why isn’t “I” capitalized in Icelandic, and why isn’t Sunday capitalized?

The pronoun ég (“I”) is not capitalized in Icelandic (unless it begins a sentence). Days of the week like sunnudagur are also not capitalized.

Where does negation go? How would I say “I’m not visiting my grandmother on Sunday”?

Place ekki after the finite verb:

Ég heimsæki ekki ömmu mína á sunnudag. For the second clause: Afi segir ekki góða sögu.

Should I use mín or sín with family words?

Use mín for “my.” The reflexive sín is only for third person referring back to the subject of its clause, e.g., Hann heimsækir ömmu sína (“He visits his own grandmother”). You would not say Ég heimsæki ömmu sína for “I visit my grandmother.”

Can the possessive go before the noun (like “my grandma”)?

Normally the possessive follows the noun: ömmu mína. It can come before for emphasis or in certain stylized phrases, especially when another adjective is present: mín kæra amma (“my dear grandmother”). For neutral style, stick to noun + possessive.

Is “tell a story” always segja sögu in Icelandic?

Yes, the idiomatic expression is að segja sögu (“to tell a story”). So afi segir góða sögu is the natural way to say “Grandpa tells a good story.”

Which preposition do I use for other time words: á or í?

Days and many holidays: á (+ acc for specific times): á sunnudag, á mánudaginn, á páskum (note: some holidays vary).
Months, seasons, years: typically í: í janúar, í vetur, í 2025.