Questions & Answers about Við lesum í stofunni.
What does „Við“ mean, and is it always “we”?
„Við“ is the nominative plural pronoun meaning “we”. It’s the normal subject pronoun when more than one person (including the speaker) is doing the action.
Basic subject pronouns in Icelandic (nominative):
- ég – I
- þú – you (singular, informal)
- hann – he
- hún – she
- það – it
- við – we
- þið – you (plural)
- þeir / þær / þau – they (masc / fem / neuter)
In „Við lesum í stofunni“, „við“ is simply “we,” the subject of “read.”
Why is the verb „lesum“ and not „lesa“ or „les“?
The infinitive is að lesa – “to read.” Icelandic verbs change their endings depending on person and number.
Present tense of lesa:
- ég les – I read
- þú lest – you read
- hann/hún/það les – he/she/it reads
- við lesum – we read
- þið lesið – you (pl.) read
- þeir/þær/þau lesa – they read
So for “we read”, you must use first person plural: „við lesum“, not „við lesa“ or „við les“.
Is „Við lesum í stofunni“ closer to “We read in the living room” or “We are reading in the living room”?