Við ræðum spurningarnar í kennslustofunni.

We discuss the questions in the classroom.

Breakdown of Við ræðum spurningarnar í kennslustofunni.

• við: we
• í: in
• ræða: to discuss
• spurningin: the question
• kennslustofan: the classroom

Questions & Answers about Við ræðum spurningarnar í kennslustofunni.

What does the pronoun Við mean, and what are its other forms?

Við means “we” (nominative). Other common forms:

• Accusative/Dative: okkur (“us”)
• Genitive: okkar (“our/of us”)

Why is the verb ræðum (and not ræða) used here?

Ræðum is the present tense, first-person plural form of the verb ræða (“to discuss”). In the present tense:

• ég ræði, þú ræður, hann/hún/það ræður
• við ræðum, þið ræðið, þeir/þær/þau ræða

Does ræða need a preposition like “about,” and which case does it take?

• Ræða is transitive and normally takes a direct object in the accusative (no preposition needed).
• You will also hear and see ræða um (“discuss/talk about”), where um takes the accusative. Both are common; without um is a bit more concise/formal, with um can feel more conversational/emphatic.

Why does spurningarnar end in -nar?

Because it’s the definite plural (feminine) in the accusative: the direct object is “the questions.” Morphology:

• Base noun: spurning (“question”, feminine)
• Plural: spurningar
• Definite plural suffix (fem.): -nar
• Result: spurningarnar (“the questions”)

What’s the base form and gender of spurningarnar, and how do I say “a question/the questions”?

• Base form: spurning (feminine)
• “a question”: spurning
• “the question”: spurningin
• “questions”: spurningar
• “the questions”: spurningarnar The dative plural is spurningum (indef.) / spurningunum (def.).

Why is it í kennslustofunni and what case is that?

Í takes the dative when indicating location (being “in” a place). Kennslustofunni is dative singular definite of kennslustofa (“classroom”):

• Indef. dative singular: kennslustofu (“in a classroom”)
• Def. dative singular: kennslustofunni (“in the classroom”) If there were motion into the classroom, you’d use the accusative: í kennslustofuna (“into the classroom”).

What does kennslustofa literally mean, and why the ending -inni?

Kennslustofa is a compound: kennsla (“teaching/instruction”) + stofa (“room”) → “teaching room” = classroom. The ending -inni marks feminine dative singular definite (stofa → stofu + -inni → stofunni; with the compound: kennslustofunni).

Can I move the place phrase to the front?

Yes. Icelandic main clauses are typically verb-second. You can say:

• Í kennslustofunni ræðum við spurningarnar. The finite verb ræðum stays in second position after the fronted phrase.

How do I say this in the past or future?

• Past: Við ræddum spurningarnar í kennslustofunni. (“We discussed …”)
• Future: Við munum ræða spurningarnar í kennslustofunni. (“We will discuss …”)

Is there a difference between Við ræðum … and Við erum að ræða …?

Both can describe a present, ongoing action. Við ræðum … is the simple present but often covers the “we are discussing” meaning. Við erum að ræða … explicitly expresses a progressive, “we are in the middle of discussing,” and is common in speech.

How do I negate this sentence naturally?

Place ekki after the finite verb:

• Við ræðum ekki spurningarnar í kennslustofunni. If you want to negate specifically the location, you can put ekki before that phrase:
• Við ræðum spurningarnar ekki í kennslustofunni.

Any quick pronunciation tips for these words?

• ð (in Við, ræðum) is like the th in “this.”
• æ (in ræðum) sounds like the vowel in “eye.”
• í (in í) is like a long “ee.”
• Stress is on the first syllable of each word: Víð, RÆIðum, SPURningarnar, Í, KENNSlustofunni.

Why isn’t there a separate word for “the” in spurningarnar and kennslustofunni?

Icelandic uses a suffixed definite article attached to the noun:

• Singular definite: -inn (masc.), -in (fem.), -ið (neut.)
• Plural definite: -nir (masc.), -nar (fem.), -in (neut.) Case endings come first, then the definite ending (e.g., spurningar
  • -nar → spurningarnar; kennslustofu
    • -inni → kennslustofunni).