Við lærum íslensku á netinu.

We learn Icelandic online.

Breakdown of Við lærum íslensku á netinu.

• við: we
• læra: to learn
• íslenskan: the Icelandic language
• á netinu: online

Questions & Answers about Við lærum íslensku á netinu.

What does each word in Við lærum íslensku á netinu correspond to in English?

Word by word, it is:

• Við – we (1st person plural subject pronoun)
• lærum – learn / are learning (1st person plural present of að læra = to learn)
• íslensku – Icelandic (the Icelandic language, in the accusative case)
• á netinu – on the internet / online
  
  • á – on
  • netinu – the internet, dative singular with the definite ending

So the whole sentence is literally: We learn Icelandic on the internet.

Why is it íslensku and not íslenska?

Icelandic marks grammatical case on nouns and adjectives. Language names change form depending on their role in the sentence.

• The base form (nominative) is íslenska – used for the subject:

  • Íslenska er erfitt mál. – Icelandic is a difficult language.

• After læra (to learn), the language is the direct object, so it appears in the accusative case.
  For íslenska, the accusative singular is íslensku.

So:

• Við lærum íslensku. – We learn Icelandic. (accusative object)
• Íslenska er falleg. – Icelandic is beautiful. (nominative subject)

That’s why it is íslensku here: it’s the thing being learned.

What tense is lærum, and does it mean “we learn” or “we are learning”?

Lærum is the present indicative of að læra for við (we).

Icelandic only has one simple present tense, and it covers both English:

• present simple (we learn) and
• present continuous (we are learning).

So Við lærum íslensku á netinu can be translated as either:

• We learn Icelandic online.
• We are learning Icelandic online.

Context decides which English version sounds more natural, but the Icelandic form is the same.

How is the verb að læra conjugated in the present tense?

Present indicative of að læra (to learn):

• ég læri – I learn / am learning
• þú lærir – you (singular) learn / are learning
• hann / hún / það lærir – he / she / it learns / is learning
• við lærum – we learn / are learning
• þið lærið – you (plural) learn / are learning
• þeir / þær / þau læra – they learn / are learning

Notice the pattern:

• 1st person plural ends in -um → lærum for við.
  That -um ending is a regular marker for we in many Icelandic verbs.

Why is the preposition á used in á netinu, and what case does it take here?

Á is a very common preposition that can mean on, at, in, depending on context.

• With location (where something happens), á usually takes the dative case.
• With movement (to where something moves), á often takes the accusative.

In á netinu:

• It describes where we are learning: on the internet.
• So á governs the dative: net → netinu (dative singular definite).

That’s why you see netinu and not netið here.

What exactly is netinu, and how is it formed?

The noun is net (n., “net / web / network / internet”).

Relevant forms:

• net – nominative / accusative singular (indefinite)
• netið – nominative / accusative singular (definite: the net)
• neti – dative singular (indefinite)
• netinu – dative singular (definite: the net / the internet)

In á netinu:

• á requires the dative for a static location.
• We’re talking about the internet, so we use the definite dative: netinu.

Thus, á netinu = on the internet / online.

Can I leave out Við and just say Lærum íslensku á netinu?

In normal declarative sentences, you do not drop the subject pronoun in Icelandic.
So:

• Við lærum íslensku á netinu. – correct.
• Lærum íslensku á netinu. – this sounds like a command: Let’s learn Icelandic online.

Icelandic does not generally allow “hidden” subjects the way Spanish or Italian do. To say we learn / we are learning, you should include við.

Is the word order fixed, or can I move á netinu around in the sentence?

The neutral word order is:

• Subject – Verb – Object – Other information
  → Við lærum íslensku á netinu.

You can move á netinu for emphasis or style, but some orders will sound unnatural. Acceptable variations include:

• Við lærum á netinu íslensku. – possible, but marked; focuses more on online vs not online.
• Á netinu lærum við íslensku. – On the internet, we learn Icelandic; fronting á netinu for emphasis or contrast.

In everyday speech, Við lærum íslensku á netinu is by far the most natural.

Why is íslensku not capitalized, when Icelandic is in English?

In Icelandic, language names and adjectives of nationality are not capitalized, unless they start a sentence.

So you write:

• Ég tala íslensku. – I speak Icelandic.
• Hún er íslensk. – She is Icelandic.

But:

• English vs íslenska / íslensku
• German vs þýska / þýsku

Therefore íslensku in Við lærum íslensku á netinu is correctly written with a lowercase í.

Is á netinu the usual way to say “online”, or is there a single-word adverb?

Á netinu is the standard, everyday way to express “online / on the internet”.

You might also see:

• á Netinu with capital N in some older or brand-like contexts, but standard modern usage is lowercase.
• More technical or formal alternatives like í gegnum netið – through the internet.

There isn’t a common single-word adverb like English online; á netinu fills that role.

How do you pronounce Við lærum íslensku á netinu?

Approximate IPA and notes (main stress always on the first syllable of each word):

• Við – [vɪð]

  • ð = voiced “th” as in this (but softer, dental).

• lærum – [ˈlaiːrʏm] (often [ˈlaiːrʏm] or slightly shorter [ˈlai̯rʏm])

  • æ = like English eye.
  • r is rolled or tapped.

• íslensku – [ˈiːstlɛnskʏ] or [ˈiːslɛnskʏ] (the t can appear by assimilation in careful speech)

  • í = long ee sound.
  • sk before a vowel can sound close to sk, not sh here; in other contexts skj / ski can be more [sc] / [ʃc].

• á – [au]

  • Like the vowel in English cow.

• netinu – [ˈnɛːtɪnʏ]

  • e often long here [ɛː].
  • Final u is [ʏ], like German ü or a short, rounded i.

Said naturally, it flows roughly as:

• [vɪð ˈlaiːrʏm ˈiːslɛnskʏ au ˈnɛːtɪnʏ].