Questions & Answers about Ég þarf staðfestingu núna.
It’s accusative singular. Þurfa (to need) takes a direct object in the accusative. The noun staðfesting is a feminine -ing noun; its singular forms include:
- Nominative: staðfesting
- Accusative: staðfestingu
- Dative: staðfestingu
- Genitive: staðfestingar Tip: many feminine -ing nouns have -u in both the accusative and dative singular.
Use the suffixed definite article on the noun: Ég þarf staðfestinguna núna. Icelandic marks definiteness with a suffix (not a separate “the” before the noun). Here, accusative definite feminine singular ends in -una.
Yes, and they mean different things:
- “I need to confirm now”: Ég þarf að staðfesta núna. (you will perform the confirming)
- “I need to get/receive confirmation now”: Ég þarf að fá staðfestingu núna. (you want someone else’s confirmation)
Both use að
- infinitive after þarf.
Icelandic is verb-second (V2) in main clauses: the finite verb sits in position 2. Common options (all natural):
- Ég þarf staðfestingu núna. (neutral; “now” at the end)
- Ég þarf núna staðfestingu. (slight focus on “now”)
- Núna þarf ég staðfestingu. (fronted “now” for emphasis/contrast) Avoid placing núna before the verb unless you front it fully as in the third example.
- núna = now (at this moment). Neutral, very common.
- nú = now, but also a discourse word like “well/now then.” As a pure time adverb it’s a bit shorter/more formal or literary.
- strax = immediately/straight away. Stronger urgency than núna. Examples:
- Ég þarf staðfestingu núna. (now)
- Ég þarf staðfestingu strax. (right away)
Try indirect questions or modal verbs:
- Gætirðu staðfest? (Could you confirm?)
- Get ég fengið staðfestingu núna, vinsamlegast? (May I get confirmation now, please?)
- Væri hægt að fá staðfestingu núna? (Would it be possible to get confirmation now?)
- Add vinsamlegast (please) or soften with væri/gæti.
Place ekki after the finite verb:
- Ég þarf ekki staðfestingu núna. (I don’t need confirmation now.) With an infinitive: Ég þarf ekki að staðfesta núna.
Put the finite verb first:
- Þarf ég staðfestingu núna? (Do I need confirmation now?) With an infinitive: Þarf ég að fá staðfestingu núna?
It’s a preterite-present verb (modal-like), irregular in the present.
- Present: ég þarf, þú þarft, hann/hún/það þarf, við þurfum, þið þurfið, þeir/þær/þau þurfa
- Past: ég þurfti, þú þurftir, hann þurfti, við þurftum, þið þurftuð, þeir þurftu Perfect: ég hef þurft (I have needed)
- Ég ≈ “YEH-gh” (the final sound is a soft voiced [ɣ], not a hard g)
- þarf ≈ “tharf” (initial þ like English “th” in thin; roll the r lightly)
- staðfestingu ≈ “stath-fes-tin-gu” (the ð is like “th” in this; the cluster ngu sounds like “ngk-oo”)
- núna ≈ “NOO-na” (long ú) Stress is on the first syllable of each word. Letters: þ (unvoiced th), ð (voiced th), é/É is like “yeh.”
Staðfesting is feminine. It’s the noun from the verb staðfesta (to confirm). So:
- staðfesta = to confirm
- staðfesting = confirmation
Yes, but it’s unusual in everyday contexts. Plural accusative is staðfestingar:
- Ég þarf fleiri staðfestingar núna. (I need more confirmations now.) In most cases you’ll ask for just one confirmation.