Við hittumst í fundarherberginu eftir hádegi.

We meet in the meeting room after noon.

Breakdown of Við hittumst í fundarherberginu eftir hádegi.

• við: we
• í: in
• eftir: after
• hádegið: the noon
• hittast: to meet
• fundarherbergið: the meeting room

Questions & Answers about Við hittumst í fundarherberginu eftir hádegi.

What does the -st at the end of the verb in hittumst mean?

The -st ending marks the “middle voice,” often making the verb reciprocal or reflexive. Here it’s reciprocal:

• við hittumst = we meet each other / we meet up.
• Without -st, við hittum needs a direct object: við hittum hann/hana = we meet him/her.

Is við hittumst present or past?

It can be either; the form is identical in present and past. Context or time words clarify it:

• Present (often planned/near future): Við hittumst í dag eftir hádegi. = We’re meeting today in the afternoon.
• Past: Við hittumst í gær. = We met yesterday.

How can I make the future meaning explicit?

Use a future/intention verb or a time word:

• Intention: Við ætlum að hittast í fundarherberginu eftir hádegi. (We intend to meet…)
• Future: Við munum hittast í fundarherberginu eftir hádegi. (We will meet…)
• Add a day: á morgun eftir hádegi (tomorrow afternoon).

How would I turn this into a question like “Shall we meet…?” or “Can we meet…?”

Common options:

• Eigum við að hittast í fundarherberginu eftir hádegi? (Shall we meet…?)
• Getum við hist í fundarherberginu eftir hádegi? (Can we meet…?) — note the form hist (perfect/supine of hittast).
• Yes/no word order also works: Hittumst við í fundarherberginu eftir hádegi?

Why is it í fundarherberginu and not something else? What case is used?

The preposition í takes the dative when it means “in/inside” (location). fundarherberginu is the dative singular with the definite article:

• Indefinite: í fundarherbergi (in a conference room)
• Definite: í fundarherberginu (in the conference room)

When would I use the definite vs indefinite form of “conference room”?

• í fundarherbergi = some/any conference room (not specified).
• í fundarherberginu = the conference room (specific/known to both speakers, or the usual one at the office).

What’s inside the compound fundarherbergi?

It’s a compound of:

• fundar- = genitive singular of fundur (meeting), used attributively.
• herbergi (room, neuter). Then add the case and article:
• Nominative/accusative/dative (indef.): fundarherbergi
• Dative definite (here): fundarherberginu (base + -inu)

Why not use á instead of í for a place?

For rooms/interiors, í (“in/inside”) is standard: í herbergi, í stofu. Á is used for surfaces and certain venues or events (e.g., á fundi = at a meeting; á skrifstofunni can be “at the office” idiomatically). For a literal room, stick with í.

Does eftir hádegi mean “after noon” or “in the afternoon”?

Both, depending on context. Literally “after noon,” but idiomatically it corresponds to “in the afternoon.”

• Synonyms: síðdegis (in the afternoon), eftirmiðdaginn (“the afternoon,” accusative, as a time expression), seinnipartinn (later in the day).
• Opposite: fyrir hádegi (in the morning/before noon).

What case does eftir take here, and why doesn’t hádegi change form?

In the time sense “after,” eftir takes the accusative. hádegi is a neuter noun whose nominative/accusative/dative singular forms look the same (genitive: hádegis), so you don’t see a visible change. In other senses (e.g., “according to,” “by [author]”), eftir can govern the dative.

Could I say eftir hádegið with a definite article?

You could, but it’s unusual unless you’re referring to a very specific, previously mentioned noon. The idiomatic time phrase is eftir hádegi (no article). Similarly, people say í hádeginu for “at noon,” but for “after noon/this afternoon” it’s eftir hádegi.

Can I drop við and just say Hittumst í fundarherberginu eftir hádegi?

If you drop við and put the verb first, it reads as a suggestion/command: “Let’s meet in the conference room this afternoon.” Icelandic normally uses subject pronouns; Hittumst… (initial) is understood as a hortative (“let’s …”).

How do I say “We met each other before”?

• Við höfum hist áður. (We have met before.) — note hist with perfect: höfum hist.

What’s the difference between að hitta, að hittast, and að kynnast?

• hitta [einhvern] = meet someone (you run into or arrange to see them).
• hittast = meet each other / meet up (reciprocal).
• kynnast [dat.] = get to know someone / meet someone for the first time (takes dative: kynnast honum/henni).

Can I change the word order to front the time or place?

Yes, Icelandic allows topicalization of adverbials:

• Eftir hádegi hittumst við í fundarherberginu.
• Í fundarherberginu hittumst við eftir hádegi. The finite verb still stays in second position in main clauses.