Questions & Answers about Þú kemur í kvöld, er það ekki?
What does the tag er það ekki? mean here?
It literally means “is that not?” but functions like English “right?” or “isn’t it?” It’s a very common, neutral way to ask for confirmation of the whole preceding statement: “You’re coming tonight, right?”
Do Icelandic tag questions have to match the verb and subject of the main clause?
No. Unlike English, Icelandic often uses the generic tag er það ekki? regardless of the main verb and subject. You can also use other generic tags like ekki satt? (“isn’t that true?”) or simply ekki? after a comma.
Why is the present tense kemur used to talk about the future (“tonight”)?
Icelandic has no dedicated future tense; the present is commonly used for scheduled/near-future events when a time expression like í kvöld clarifies the timing. You can also use auxiliaries: muna for prediction (Þú munt koma í kvöld) or ætla for intention (Ætlarðu að koma í kvöld?).
What exactly does í kvöld mean? Is it “this evening” or “tonight”?
Í kvöld means “this evening/tonight” (the evening period, up to bedtime). If you mean the night proper/overnight, use í nótt. For habitual “in the evenings,” use á kvöldin.
What case is in after , and why doesn’t it change form?