Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Mig vantar smá vatn.

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.

Why is it vantar (3rd person singular) and not something like vanta or vantar ég?

In Icelandic, vanta behaves like an impersonal verb in this structure:

There is no active, nominative “I” as a subject.
The “subject-like” role is played by mig in the accusative, but grammatically the verb stays in 3rd person singular: vantar.

So you say:

Mig vantar smá vatn. – I need some water.
Þig vantar smá vatn. – You need some water.
Hann vantar smá vatn. – He needs some water.

The verb form vantar does not change with the person word (mig, þig, hann, okkur, ykkur, þá, etc.) in this usage.

What case is mig, and when do I use it?

Mig is the accusative form of ég.

Singular forms of “I”:

Nom.: ég – I
Acc.: mig – me
Dat.: mér – to/for me
Gen.: mín – of me

In Mig vantar smá vatn, the verb vanta requires the person to be in the accusative. Other verbs may require dative (mér líkar þetta – I like this) or nominative (ég sé – I see).

So you use mig whenever:

It is the direct object, or
The verb’s pattern specifically calls for the accusative experiencer (as with vanta, langa, etc.).

What does smá mean here exactly? Is it like “a little” or “some”?

Smá here means “a little (bit of), some” and often has a casual, friendly tone.

Mig vantar smá vatn. – I need a bit of water / some water.
Smá can sound a bit softer and less demanding than just vatn.

Grammar points:

Smá is often used in a mostly indeclinable way (same form, no visible case/number change) before mass nouns or when you mean “a bit of something”:
- smá vatn – a little water
- smá brauð – some bread
- smá pening – a little money

There is also an adjective smár, smá, smátt meaning “small,” which does decline fully, but in this everyday “a bit of X” usage, learners can treat smá as an invariant “a little / some” word before a noun.

Why is vatn in that form? Does it show a particular case or number?

Vatn is a neuter noun meaning “water”.

Key forms (indefinite):

Nom. sg.: vatn
Acc. sg.: vatn
Dat. sg.: vatni
Gen. sg.: vatns

In Mig vantar smá vatn, vatn is a direct object after vantar, so it’s in the accusative singular. For neuter nouns, nominative and accusative singular look the same, so you can’t see the case difference just by the form.

Definite versions:

Nom./acc. sg. definite: vatnið – “the water”

Example:

Mig vantar smá vatn. – I need some water.
Mig vantar vatnið. – I need the water.

Is Mig vantar smá vatn closer to “I need some water” or “I want some water”?

The most direct sense is “I (am) lacking some water”, which corresponds best to “I need some water” in English.

It naturally covers both need and sometimes a soft kind of want in context, but the core idea is lack / need, not mere desire.

If you want to express “I want some water” (desire rather than need), you’d typically say:

Mig langar í smá vatn. – I want some water. (literally “me longs for some water”)

Is this sentence polite enough to use in a café or someone’s home, or should I say something else?

Mig vantar smá vatn is understandable and not rude, but it can sound a bit bare / blunt if you just say it out of nowhere, especially to strangers. It’s more like stating a fact: “I need some water.”

More polite or typical ways to ask:

Má ég fá smá vatn? – May I have some water?
Get ég fengið smá vatn? – Can I get some water?
You can add takk or takk fyrir:
- Má ég fá smá vatn, takk? – May I have some water, thanks?

So:

Mig vantar smá vatn. – more neutral statement of need.
Má ég fá smá vatn? – more polite request.

How would I say “Do you need some water?” with this same verb?

You keep the same verb vantar, but change the accusative pronoun to match the person, and use question word order:

Vantar þig smá vatn? – Do you need some water?

Pattern:

Mig vantar smá vatn. – I need some water.
Þig vantar smá vatn. – You need some water.
Hann/hana vantar smá vatn. – He/she needs some water.
Okkur vantar smá vatn. – We need some water.
Ykkur vantar smá vatn. – You (pl.) need some water.
Þá/þær/þau vantar smá vatn. – They need some water.

To form the question, you usually just use rising intonation or verb-first order:

Statement: Þig vantar smá vatn.
Question: Vantar þig smá vatn?

How do I negate this sentence: “I don’t need any water”?

You add ekki (“not”) after the verb and usually replace “some” with “any” in English:

Mig vantar ekki vatn. – I don’t need (any) water.
You can still add smá, but it sounds odd in English: “I don’t need a little water.”
- Natural Icelandic: Mig vantar ekki vatn.

Other examples:

Okkur vantar ekki hjálp. – We don’t need help.
Hana vantar ekki peninga. – She doesn’t need money.

What are some alternative ways to say something similar, and how do they differ?

Several common alternatives, each with a slightly different nuance:

Mig vantar smá vatn.
- I am lacking some water / I need some water.
- Focus on lack/need.
Ég þarf vatn.
- I need water.
- Uses þarf (from þurfa = “to need”), more like a direct “need,” often a bit stronger or more straightforward.
- You can also say Ég þarf smá vatn.
Mig langar í vatn.
- I want (feel like) water.
- Mig langar í X = I feel like / I want X (desire, not necessity).
Polite request:
- Má ég fá smá vatn? – May I have some water?
- Get ég fengið smá vatn? – Can I get some water?

They all can be used in everyday speech; choice depends on whether you want to emphasize need, want, or polite request.

How is Mig vantar smá vatn pronounced?

Approximate IPA: [mɪɣ ˈvantʰar smau ˈvahtn̥]

Rough English-style guide:

Mig – “mihg”:
- m as in man.
- i like bit.
- Final g is usually a soft fricative, something like a gargled “gh” rather than a hard g.
vantar – roughly “VAHN-tar”:
- van- like “vahn” (short a, not “vane”).
- t is aspirated (strong puff of air), a bit like the t in English top.
- -ar like “ar” in car (but shorter).
smá – like “smau”:
- sm as in smile.
- á is like ow in cow.
vatn – “vahtn”:
- va as in vat (short a).
- Final tn often pronounced together, with the n partially devoiced; the t is aspirated and the n may sound faint.

Spoken smoothly, it’s something like:
“Mihgh VAHN-tar smau VAHHTN.”