Ég ætla að bóka borð á veitingastað í kvöld.

I am going to book a table at a restaurant tonight.

Breakdown of Ég ætla að bóka borð á veitingastað í kvöld.

• ég: I
• ætla: to plan
• borð: the table
• á: at
• veitingastaður: the restaurant
• í kvöld: tonight
• bóka: to book

Questions & Answers about Ég ætla að bóka borð á veitingastað í kvöld.

What does the verb ætla express here?

Ætla expresses intention or a plan. So Ég ætla að ... means “I plan to / I’m going to …,” not a neutral future prediction. Compare:

• Ég ætla að bóka = I intend to book.
• Ég mun bóka = I will book (a prediction/promise).
• Mig langar að bóka = I’d like to book (politer/softer desire).

Why is there að before bóka? Is it the same word as á in á veitingastað?

Here að is the infinitive marker “to,” as in “to book.” It’s required and cannot be dropped: saying Ég ætla bóka is wrong. It’s not the same as á (“at/on”). Pronunciation tip: infinitive að is often heard as a long “a,” with the final ð very soft or absent in fast speech.

Could I say Ég mun bóka borð á veitingastað í kvöld instead?

Yes. Ég mun bóka … is correct but feels more like a neutral future statement or even a promise. Ég ætla að bóka … emphasizes your plan/intention.

Can I use panta instead of bóka?

Yes. Panta borð is very common, maybe even more idiomatic for restaurant tables:

• Ég ætla að panta borð á veitingastað í kvöld. Both bóka and panta work; bóka is also frequent for flights/hotels.

Why is it á veitingastað and not í veitingastað?

For being “at a restaurant” (as a venue/activity), Icelandic uses á + dative. Í usually means physically “in/inside.” With motion, á takes the accusative:

• Location: Ég er á veitingastað (at a restaurant).
• Motion to: Ég fer á veitingastaðinn (I’m going to the restaurant, specific).

What form is veitingastað? Why not the dictionary form veitingastaður?

The dictionary (nominative) form is veitingastaður (restaurant, masc.). After á indicating location, you use dative singular: veitingastað. Some key forms:

• Nom. sg.: veitingastaður
• Acc. sg.: veitingastað
• Dat. sg.: veitingastað
• Gen. sg.: veitingastaðar
• Definite dative: á veitingastaðnum (“at the restaurant”)

Why is there no word for “a” before borð or veitingastað?

Icelandic has no indefinite article. Indefiniteness is just the bare noun:

• borð = a table
• veitingastað (here in dative) = at a restaurant For definiteness, you add a suffix:
• borðið = the table
• á veitingastaðnum = at the restaurant

What case is borð in, and why doesn’t it change?

It’s the direct object of bóka, so it’s accusative. Borð is a neuter noun whose nominative and accusative singular are the same form (borð), so you don’t see a change. Some forms:

• Nom./Acc. sg.: borð
• Dat. sg.: borði
• Def. nom./acc. sg.: borðið

How would I say “at the restaurant” (a specific one)?

Use the definite dative: á veitingastaðnum.

• Ég ætla að bóka borð á veitingastaðnum í kvöld. = I’m going to book a table at the restaurant (the one we both know).

How do I pronounce the sentence roughly?

Very rough guide (stress on first syllable of each word):

• Ég ≈ “yehg”
• ætla ≈ “AIT-la” (the tl cluster is real)
• að (infinitive) ≈ long “a” or soft “ath”
• bóka ≈ “BOH-ka”
• borð ≈ “bordh” (the ð is like “th” in “this”)
• á ≈ “ow” (as in “cow”)
• veitingastað ≈ “VAY-ting-a-stath” (ð like “th” in “this”)
• í ≈ “ee”
• kvöld ≈ “kvult” (the ð is silent; final ld sounds like lt)

Can I move the time phrase í kvöld earlier?

Yes. Icelandic keeps the finite verb in second position (V2):

• Í kvöld ætla ég að bóka borð á veitingastað. You can also say: Ég ætla að bóka borð í kvöld á veitingastað, but the first option is more natural when fronting time.

How do I make it negative?

Place ekki after the finite verb (ætla):

• Ég ætla ekki að bóka borð á veitingastað í kvöld. With fronted time:
• Í kvöld ætla ég ekki að bóka borð.

How do I turn it into a yes/no question?

Put the verb first (still V2), and conjugate for the subject:

• To ask someone: Ætlarðu að bóka borð á veitingastað í kvöld? Answers: Já, ég ætla að … / Nei, ég ætla ekki að …

How can I add details like “for two at 7 o’clock”?

• Ég ætla að panta borð á veitingastað í kvöld, fyrir tvo klukkan sjö. Notes:
• fyrir + accusative → tvo (masc. acc. of “two” when counting people)
• klukkan sjö = at seven o’clock

What’s the difference between í kvöld and um/á kvöldin?

• í kvöld = tonight (this evening), a one-time reference.
• um kvöldin / á kvöldin = in the evenings (habitually). Don’t say í kvöldi for “tonight”; the standard phrase is í kvöld.

Can I say Ég er að bóka borð to mean “I’m booking a table (right now)”?

Yes:

• Ég er að bóka borð = I’m in the process of booking.
• Ég ætla að bóka borð = I intend/plan to book.
• Ég er að fara að bóka borð = I’m about to book (very near future).

What does veitingastaður literally mean?

It’s a compound: veitinga- (from veitingar = refreshments/serving) + staður (place). Literally “place of refreshments/serving,” i.e., a restaurant/eatery.