Við viljum dansa saman.

to want

Breakdown of Við viljum dansa saman.

• við: we
• saman: together
• dansa: to dance

Questions & Answers about Við viljum dansa saman.

Why is there no word for to before dansa?

In Icelandic, the base form of the verb (the infinitive) is usually just the verb itself, without a separate word like English to.

• dansa = to dance
• In dictionaries you’ll often see að dansa listed, where að is like to, but:
  • After verbs like vilja (to want), geta (can), mega (may), ætla (intend to), you normally use a bare infinitive (no að).

So Við viljum dansa saman literally is We want dance together, but it means We want to dance together.

Can I say Við viljum að dansa saman?

No, that is not idiomatic Icelandic.

• With vilja (to want), you use the infinitive without að:
  • Við viljum dansa saman. ✅
  • Við viljum að dansa saman. ❌

You do use að:

• When the infinitive is not governed by these modal‑like verbs:
  • Ég byrja að dansa. – I start to dance.
• Or in some more complex structures:
  • Það er gaman að dansa. – It is fun to dance.

But directly after vilja, drop að.

What form of the verb is viljum, and how is vilja conjugated?