Mig vantar smá vatn.

the water

Breakdown of Mig vantar smá vatn.

• mig: me
• vanta: to need
• smá: a bit of

Questions & Answers about Mig vantar smá vatn.

Why does the sentence start with Mig instead of Ég (“I”)?

In Icelandic, some verbs use an “experiencer in the accusative” instead of a normal nominative subject.

• Ég = “I” (nominative case)
• Mig = “me” (accusative case)

With the verb vanta (“to lack, to be missing, to need”), the person who lacks something is put in the accusative:

• Mig vantar smá vatn. = I need / I am lacking some water.
• Literally more like: “Me is-lacking some water.”

So mig is grammatically an object, even though it’s translated as “I” in English. This pattern is very common in Icelandic with verbs of need, desire, feelings, etc. (e.g. mig langar, mig grunar, mig dreymdi).

What exactly does vantar mean, and how is it used?

Vantar is the 3rd person singular present of the verb vanta.

• Core meaning: “to lack, to be missing; to need.”
• It is often used impersonally, with the person in the accusative:
  • Mig vantar peninga. – I need (am lacking) money.
  • Hana vantar bíl. – She needs (is lacking) a car.
  • Okkur vantar hjálp. – We need help.

You don’t say Ég vantar; the verb “agrees” with what is lacking (often unexpressed) and stays in 3rd person singular in this pattern.