Við hittumst í líkamsræktinni tvisvar í viku.

we

Breakdown of Við hittumst í líkamsræktinni tvisvar í viku.

• í: in
• vikan: the week
• hittast: to meet

Questions & Answers about Við hittumst í líkamsræktinni tvisvar í viku.

What does Við mean, and do I always have to say it?

Við means we (1st person plural).

Unlike some languages (like Spanish), Icelandic normally does not drop subject pronouns, because:

• Several verb forms are ambiguous (for example við hittumst can be present or past), and
• Using the pronoun is the neutral, natural way to speak.

So in most normal sentences you do say við:
Við hittumst … = We meet … / We met …

Why is it hittumst and not just hittum?

The verb is hittast (“to meet each other”), not just hitta (“to meet [someone]”).

• hitta = to meet someone as an object
  
  • Við hittum hann. = We met him.
• hittast = to meet one another, reciprocal / middle voice
  
  • Við hittumst. = We meet / we get together (with each other).

The -st ending is very common in Icelandic and often marks:

• Reflexive / reciprocal meaning (doing something to each other or to oneself)
• Or a kind of middle/passive voice.

In this sentence, við hittumst clearly means “we meet each other”, not “we meet someone else”.

What tense is hittumst here? Is it present or past?