Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Við ræðum markmið okkar saman.

Við = "we" (1st person plural subject pronoun)
ræðum = "discuss" / "are discussing" (1st person plural present of að ræða)
markmið = "goal / goals" (neuter noun; here it means "goals")
okkar = "our" (independent possessive form, genitive plural of við)
saman = "together" (adverb)

So the whole sentence means "We discuss our goals together" or "We are discussing our goals together."

Why is the verb ræðum and not something like ræða?

ræðum is the present-tense form that agrees with við ("we"):

Infinitive: að ræða – "to discuss"
1st person plural present: við ræðum – "we discuss / we are discussing"

You only use ræða in contexts like:

After another verb: Við ætlum að ræða markmið okkar. – "We are going to discuss our goals."
As a dictionary / infinitive form: að ræða – "to discuss"

In a normal present-tense sentence with við as subject, you must conjugate the verb to ræðum.

What tense and aspect does ræðum express? Does it mean "we discuss" or "we are discussing"?

Icelandic present tense covers both English simple present and present continuous.

Við ræðum markmið okkar saman can mean:

"We discuss our goals together" (a regular habit), or
"We are discussing our goals together" (right now, in progress)

Context decides which reading makes more sense; the Icelandic form itself is the same.

What is special about the noun markmið? Is it singular or plural here, and what case is it?

markmið is a neuter noun with the same form in several cases and numbers:

Singular nominative/accusative: markmið – "a goal"
Plural nominative/accusative: markmið – "goals"

In the sentence:

It is the direct object of ræðum, so it is in the accusative.
The meaning is plural ("goals") because of okkar ("our") and the context.

So here it is accusative plural, even though the form looks identical to singular.

Why is the possessive okkar used after the noun (markmið okkar) instead of before it, like in English?

Icelandic has two main ways to express "our goals":

Noun + independent possessive:
- markmið okkar – literally "goals of us"
- This is the most neutral and common pattern in Icelandic.
Attributive possessive adjective (rarer, somewhat more formal or marked):
- vor markmið – also "our goals"
- This uses vor as a possessive adjective.

markmið okkar is the natural everyday choice. Placing okkar after the noun is normal Icelandic structure; it does not sound reversed to native speakers the way it might to an English speaker.

What is the difference between markmið okkar and okkar markmið?

Both exist, but they differ in emphasis:

markmið okkar – "our goals" (neutral, most common)
okkar markmið – "our goals", but with a slight emphasis on okkar ("our goals (as opposed to someone else’s)")

okkar markmið often appears when contrasting with other people's goals:

Okkar markmið eru skýr, en þeirra markmið eru óljós.
"Our goals are clear, but their goals are vague."

For an everyday, non-contrastive sentence like this one, markmið okkar is the natural choice.

Why is the possessive okkar and not something like vor or vort?

Icelandic has two kinds of "our":

Independent possessive pronoun (used after the noun):
- okkar – "our / of us"
- Stays the same regardless of the noun’s gender in this pattern.
- Example: húsið okkar (our house), bókin okkar (our book), markmið okkar (our goals)
Possessive adjective (used before the noun, inflected for gender, number, case):
- vor, vort, vorir, vorar, vor etc.
- Example: vorar bækur – "our books"

In normal, spoken and written modern Icelandic, the okkar-type construction is far more common.
So markmið okkar is the usual, natural way to say "our goals" here.

What does saman add to the sentence, and does it have to go at the end?

saman means "together". It specifies that the action is done jointly, not separately.

Without it: Við ræðum markmið okkar. – "We discuss our goals."
With it: Við ræðum markmið okkar saman. – "We discuss our goals together."

Position:

The most natural place is at or near the end:
Við ræðum markmið okkar saman.
You could say Við ræðum saman markmið okkar, but that feels less natural and may sound a bit marked or poetic.

So yes, it can move, but sentence-final saman is the standard choice.

Could I say Við tölum um markmið okkar saman instead of Við ræðum markmið okkar saman? What is the difference?

You can say both, but there is a nuance:

að ræða (eitthvað) = "to discuss (something)"
- Often implies a more focused or deliberate discussion, possibly more formal or structured.
að tala um (eitthvað) = "to talk about (something)"
- Slightly more general and colloquial; any kind of talking about a topic.

So:

Við ræðum markmið okkar saman.
"We (deliberately) discuss our goals together."
Við tölum um markmið okkar saman.
"We talk about our goals together."

In everyday conversation, both are fine; ræða sounds a bit more like intentional discussion.

How would I say "We are discussing our goals together right now" more explicitly in Icelandic?

Often the simple present is enough:

Við erum að ræða markmið okkar saman núna.
Literally: "We are to discuss our goals together now." → natural equivalent of English present continuous "are discussing".

Pattern:

við erum að + infinitive is a common way to make the progressive aspect more explicit:

Examples:

Við erum að ræða þetta. – "We are discussing this."
Við erum að tala um framtíðina. – "We are talking about the future."

What is the basic word order in this sentence? Could I move the words around?

The basic pattern is:

Subject – Verb – Object – (other elements)

So:

Við (subject)
ræðum (finite verb)
markmið okkar (object)
saman (adverb)

The key rule: In simple main clauses, the finite verb is in second position (so-called V2 word order).

Some variations:

Saman ræðum við markmið okkar.
– Fronts saman for emphasis ("Together we discuss our goals"). Verb still stays second.

You cannot, for example, say:

✗ Við markmið okkar ræðum saman (here the finite verb is not in second place; this is ungrammatical in standard Icelandic).

How do I pronounce Við ræðum markmið okkar saman?

Approximate guide for English speakers (not strict IPA):

Við – roughly "vith"
- ð is like the "th" in "this" (voiced), but softer.
ræðum – roughly "r-ith-um" / "r-ey-thum"
- æ is like "eye".
- ð again like "th" in "this".
markmið – roughly "mark-mith"
- The ð at the end is again like a soft voiced "th".
okkar – roughly "ok-car" (with a harsh "k", not like English "car")
saman – roughly "sa-mun" (both a’s closer to "a" in "father", but shorter)

Main stress is on the first syllable of each word: Við, RÆIðum, MARKmið, OKkar, SAman.

How would I say "We discuss the goals together" instead of "our goals"?

You would make markmið definite:

Við ræðum markmiðin saman. – "We discuss the goals together."

Breakdown:

markmið – "goal / goals" (indefinite)
markmiðin – "the goals" (definite plural; -in definite ending)

If you still want to keep "our" and also specify "the goals", you could say:

Við ræðum markmiðin okkar saman. – "We discuss our (specific) goals together."