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Systkini mín lesa yfirleitt saman á kvöldin.

Systkini mín lesa yfirleitt saman á kvöldin.
My siblings usually read together in the evenings.
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Questions & Answers about Systkini mín lesa yfirleitt saman á kvöldin.

What is the grammatical subject here, and why is the verb in the form lesa?
  • The subject is Systkini mín (“my siblings”), which is third person plural.
  • Present-tense conjugation of að lesa (“to read”):
    • ég les
    • þú lest
    • hann/hún/það les
    • við lesum
    • þið lesið
    • þeir/þær/þau lesa
      Since the subject is plural, you use the 3rd person plural form lesa.
What exactly does systkini mean? Is it plural only?
  • systkini is a gender-neutral word meaning “siblings” and is grammatically neuter plural here.
  • You can count with it: e.g., tvö/þrjú/fjögur systkini (“two/three/four siblings”). Many speakers will also say eitt systkini (“one sibling”), though in everyday speech people more often say bróðir (brother) or systir (sister) if there’s only one.
  • Basic plural cases (indefinite):
    • Nom/Acc: systkini
    • Dat: systkinum
    • Gen: systkina
Why is the possessive mín placed after the noun and not before it?
In Icelandic, possessive pronouns normally follow the noun: systkini mín (“my siblings”), bókin mín (“my book”), bíllinn minn (“my car”). Preposing (e.g., mín systkini) is possible but sounds emphatic, contrastive, or poetic.
Shouldn’t there be a definite ending on systkini (like systkinin) since it’s “my siblings”?
With plural kinship terms, Icelandic commonly uses the noun without the definite ending when a postposed possessive is present: systkini mín is perfectly normal and feels definite in meaning. You will also hear systkinin mín; it’s acceptable, often a bit more specific or colloquial in feel. If in doubt, systkini mín is a safe choice.
How does the possessive mín agree with systkini?
  • mín here is the neuter plural nominative form of the possessive “my.”
  • Agreement patterns for “my”:
    • Singular: masculine minn, feminine mín, neuter mitt
    • Plural: masculine mínir, feminine mínar, neuter mín
      Since systkini is neuter plural, you use mín.
What does yfirleitt mean, and how is it different from venjulega or oft?
  • yfirleitt = “usually; generally; by and large.” In negatives, yfirleitt ekki can mean “not at all (generally).”
  • venjulega = “usually/typically” (close in meaning; slightly more about habit/routine).
  • oft = “often, frequently” (speaks to frequency, not the typicality of a pattern). In this sentence, yfirleitt emphasizes what generally happens.
Why is yfirleitt placed after the verb? Where do frequency adverbs go?

Icelandic main clauses are verb-second. The typical order is: Subject – Finite verb – Mid-field elements (adverbs, negation, objects) – Other information. So: Systkini mín | lesa | yfirleitt | saman | á kvöldin. You can topicalize for emphasis (still keeping the verb in 2nd position):

  • Yfirleitt lesa systkini mín saman á kvöldin.
  • Á kvöldin lesa systkini mín yfirleitt saman.
Can I move saman around? For example, is systkini mín lesa saman yfirleitt á kvöldin okay?
  • The neutral order is … lesa yfirleitt saman á kvöldin.
  • saman can move, but some orders sound more natural than others. These are fine:
    • Systkini mín lesa saman á kvöldin.
    • Systkini mín lesa yfirleitt saman á kvöldin.
    • Á kvöldin lesa systkini mín (yfirleitt) saman.
  • saman yfirleitt together is less idiomatic unless you’re doing special emphasis.
What case is kvöldin, and what does the ending mean?
  • kvöldin is the definite plural of kvöld (“evening; nightfall”) in the accusative (for this time expression).
  • For neuter kvöld:
    • Plural Nom/Acc (indef.): kvöld
    • Plural Nom/Acc (def.): kvöldin
      The phrase á kvöldin means “in the evenings” (habitual). Icelandic often uses a definite form with time-of-day nouns to express habitual time.
Why is it á kvöldin and not á kvöldum?

Both exist, but they differ in feel:

  • á kvöldin (definite, acc. pl.) is the most idiomatic way to express a habitual time: “in the evenings.”
  • á kvöldum (dat. pl., indefinite) is also correct but sounds more formal/literary or slightly less common in everyday speech.
Could I use other prepositions or time phrases, like um kvöldin or í kvöld?
  • um kvöldin = “in the evenings” (also habitual; very common).
  • í kvöld = “tonight” (one specific evening, not a habitual statement).
  • á kvöldin and um kvöldin are near-synonyms in the habitual sense; choose either.
Why does á mean “in” here? I thought á was “on.”
Preposition meanings depend on context. á can mean “on,” “at,” or “in.” With recurring time expressions, á + [definite plural time word] is a standard pattern: á morgnana (“in the mornings”), á daginn (“in the daytime”), á kvöldin (“in the evenings”).
Does lesa mean “to study,” or only “to read”?

Primarily it means “to read.” But in school contexts people also say lesa fyrir próf (“read/study for an exam”), because a lot of studying involves reading. If you want to stress studying in general, að læra = “to learn/study.”

  • Reading a book: lesa bók
  • Studying for an exam: læra/lesa fyrir próf
How do you pronounce the tricky parts?

Approximate guide (not IPA-perfect, but helpful):

  • systkini ≈ “SISS-t-kin-ih” (notice the tight cluster in stk; keep the i’s short)
  • mín ≈ “meen”
  • lesa ≈ “LEH-sa” (long e)
  • yfirleitt ≈ “EE-vir-layht” (the ei like “ay,” final tt crisp)
  • saman ≈ “SAH-man”
  • á kvöldin ≈ “ow KVOEL-din” (á like “ow” in “cow,” ö like French “œ” in “cœur,” the ð is a soft th as in “this”)
Can I start the sentence with the time or the frequency for emphasis?

Yes, just keep the finite verb in second position (verb-second rule):

  • Á kvöldin lesa systkini mín yfirleitt saman.
  • Yfirleitt lesa systkini mín saman á kvöldin.
  • Saman lesa systkini mín yfirleitt á kvöldin.
    All are correct; each highlights the element you front.