Hann er veikur í dag.

to be

Breakdown of Hann er veikur í dag.

• hann: he
• dagur: the day
• í: in
• veikur: sick

Questions & Answers about Hann er veikur í dag.

What does each word in the sentence do grammatically?

• Hann = he (3rd person singular, nominative).
• er = is (3rd person singular present of vera, “to be”).
• veikur = sick/ill (adjective, masculine nominative singular, strong ending -ur, agreeing with Hann).
• í dag = today (literally “in day”; a fixed time expression with í
  • accusative dag).

Why is it veikur and not veikt or veik?

Adjectives agree with the subject in gender, number, and case. Hann is masculine singular nominative, so the adjective takes the masculine nominative singular form veikur. The forms are:

• Masculine: veikur (he is sick) → Hann er veikur
• Feminine: veik (she is sick) → Hún er veik
• Neuter: veikt (it is sick) → Það er veikt

How would the sentence change for different subjects (she/they/plural)?

• She: Hún er veik í dag.
• They (masc. pl.): Þeir eru veikir í dag.
• They (fem. pl.): Þær eru veikar í dag.
• They (mixed/neut. pl.): Þau eru veik í dag.

Why is it dag and not dagur or degi?

Because í takes the accusative in this time expression. The noun “day” declines:

• Nominative: dagur
• Accusative: dag
• Dative: degi
• Genitive: dags In time phrases like í dag (“today”), the accusative is used.

Can I drop the subject pronoun like in Spanish (just say “Is sick today”)?

Generally no. Icelandic is not a “pro‑drop” language, so you keep the subject: Hann er veikur í dag. Dropping it sounds like a headline fragment.

Where can I put í dag? Must it be at the end?

It commonly goes at the end: Hann er veikur í dag.
You can front it for emphasis, but Icelandic is verb‑second, so the verb stays in second position: Í dag er hann veikur.
Middle placement (Hann er í dag veikur) is possible but marked/formal.

How do I make it negative?

Place ekki after the finite verb: Hann er ekki veikur í dag.
If you front the time phrase: Í dag er hann ekki veikur.

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

Invert subject and verb (verb‑first): Er hann veikur í dag?

Pronunciation tips?

• Hann: [hanː] — clear h, long/doubled n.
• er: [ɛr] — short “eh,” trilled/flapped r.
• veikur: [ˈveiːkʏr] — stress first syllable; ei like “ay” in “day”; final -ur has a short, rounded vowel [ʏ].
• í: [iː] — long “ee.”
• dag: [taːɣ] — long “a,” and a soft, throaty g ([ɣ]) at the end.

Why is there no “the” or “a” (article) in the Icelandic?

Icelandic has no indefinite article (“a/an”), and the definite article is a suffix (e.g., dagurinn = “the day”). In fixed time expressions you don’t use the article: í dag means “today.”

Are there more natural or nuanced alternatives to veikur?

• lasinn (masc.)/lasin (fem.)/lasið (neut.): often “down sick,” very common for temporary illness.
  Example: Hann er lasinn í dag.
• sjúkur: “ill/sick,” but often implies a more serious/medical condition.
• slappur: “weak/run‑down.”
• To express feeling unwell: Honum líður illa í dag (“He feels bad today”).

Can veikur also mean “weak,” not just “ill”?

Yes. veikur can mean “weak/feeble” depending on context (e.g., veikur í fótunum = “weak in the legs”). With í dag, it’s usually understood as “sick today.”

How do I add “very,” “quite,” or “a little”?

Place the adverb before the adjective:

• mjög veikur = very sick
• frekar veikur = rather/quite sick
• svolítið/pínu veikur = a little bit sick Example: Hann er mjög veikur í dag.

How do I say it in the past or talk about the future?

• Past: Hann var veikur í gær. (He was sick yesterday.)
• “Will be” (prediction): Icelandic often uses context or munu: Hann mun vera veikur á morgun.
• “Will get/become sick”: Hann verður veikur.

Why isn’t it veiki (a weak ending) since the subject could be definite?

Predicate adjectives (after “to be”) take the strong inflection, even with definite nouns:

• Drengurinn er veikur. (The boy is sick.)
  But attributive adjectives before a definite noun take the weak inflection:
• hinn veiki drengurinn or veiki drengurinn (“the sick boy”).

Is there a gender‑neutral option for “he/she” here?

For groups, þau (neuter plural) is standard: Þau eru veik í dag.
For singular nonbinary reference, some speakers use hán. Agreement varies by speaker; you may see Hán er veik í dag or Hán er veikt í dag. This usage is evolving, so follow the preference of the person or the style guide you’re using.