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Questions & Answers about Ég þarf símanúmer núna.
What does each word do in this sentence?
- Ég = I (1st person singular pronoun, nominative)
- þarf = need (present tense, 1st person singular of the verb þurfa “to need”)
- símanúmer = phone number (neuter noun; compound of sími “phone” + númer “number”)
- núna = now (time adverb) Literal structure: “I need phone-number now.”
How do I pronounce the sentence?
- Approximation: “Yeh tharv SEE-ma-noo-mer NOO-na” (roll the r slightly).
- IPA (broad): Ég [jɛː(ɣ)] • þarf [θarf] • símanúmer [ˈsiːmaˌnuːmɛr] • núna [ˈnuːna] Notes:
- Þ = voiceless “th” as in “think.”
- r is tapped/rolled.
- In ég, the g is a soft [ɣ] or often barely audible; many say roughly “yeh.”
Why is there no “a” before “símanúmer”?
Icelandic has no indefinite article. Bare nouns often translate as “a/an” in English. So símanúmer can mean “a phone number” here. If you specifically mean “the,” you mark it with a definite ending (see below).
What case is “símanúmer” in, and does “þurfa” govern a case?
Here símanúmer is the direct object in the accusative. The verb þurfa takes an accusative object. With many neuter nouns the nominative and accusative look the same, as here.
- Compare with a masculine noun: Ég þarf penna (“I need a pen.” Accusative of “penni.”)
What gender is “símanúmer,” and how does it decline? What about the plural?
- símanúmer is neuter.
- Key forms:
- Nom/Acc sg: símanúmer
- Dat sg: símanúmeri
- Gen sg: símanúmers
- Nom/Acc pl: símanúmer
- Dat pl: símanúmerum
- Gen pl: símanúmera The plural nominative/accusative is identical to the singular, so you often use a number or quantifier to make plurality clear (e.g., tvö símanúmer “two phone numbers”).
How do I say “I need the phone number now”?
Use the definite ending: Ég þarf símanúmerið núna.
- The neuter singular definite suffix is -ið: símanúmer → símanúmerið.
Where can I put the time word “núna”? Is there a word-order rule to watch?
All of these are fine:
- Ég þarf símanúmer núna. (neutral, very common)
- Ég þarf núna símanúmer.
- Núna þarf ég símanúmer. (fronted adverb) Icelandic is a V2 (verb-second) language: when you front núna, the finite verb (þarf) must still come second.
How do I negate this?
Place ekki after the verb:
- Ég þarf ekki símanúmer núna. (“I don’t need a phone number now.”) With a verb phrase: Ég þarf ekki að hringja núna. (“I don’t need to call now.”)
Is “Ég þarf …” the only way to say “I need …”? What about “vantar”?
You have a few options with slightly different nuances:
- Ég þarf símanúmer. = I need (there is a necessity/requirement).
- Mig vantar símanúmer. = I lack/need a phone number (focus on missing something). Note the form mig (accusative “me”) acts like the grammatical experiencer.
- Idiom: Ég þarf á símanúmeri að halda. = I need a phone number (lit. “I need to have use of a phone number”), often a bit more emphatic or specific.
Can I drop the subject pronoun “Ég”?
No. Icelandic is not a pro-drop language. You must include the subject: Ég þarf … (not “Þarf símanúmer núna.”)
How is “þurfa” conjugated (present and simple past)?
- Present: ég þarf, þú þarft, hann/hún/það þarf, við þurfum, þið þurfið, þau þurfa
- Past (preterite): ég þurfti, þú þurftir, hann/hún/það þurfti, við þurftum, þið þurftuð, þau þurftu
- Perfect: ég hef þurft (“I have needed”)
Do I ever use “að” after “þarf” here?
Use að only before an infinitive verb, not before a noun:
- Noun object: Ég þarf símanúmer. (no “að”)
- Verb phrase: Ég þarf að hringja. (“I need to call.”)
What’s the difference between “nú” and “núna”?
Both mean “now,” but:
- núna = “right now/at the present moment,” very common for time reference.
- nú can also mean “now,” but is often a discourse particle (“well/now then”) and can sound a bit more formal or stylistic in time sense. In this sentence, núna is the default.
How do I say “I need your phone number now”?
Two natural options:
- Postposed possessive (very common): Ég þarf símanúmerið þitt núna.
- Preposed possessive (more emphatic): Ég þarf þitt símanúmer núna. Note: With a postposed possessive, the noun takes the definite ending (símanúmerið þitt).
How can I make it clear I want more than one number?
Add a numeral or quantifier:
- Ég þarf tvö símanúmer núna. (two)
- Ég þarf nokkur/mörg símanúmer núna. (some/several / many) Because nom/acc plural is also símanúmer, the numeral/quantifier signals plurality.
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