Ég vil alltaf taka þátt.

I always want to take part.

Breakdown of Ég vil alltaf taka þátt.

• ég: I
• vilja: to want
• alltaf: always
• taka þátt: to take part

Questions & Answers about Ég vil alltaf taka þátt.

Why is it Ég vil and not Mig vil?

Ég is the nominative form of ég (I), and vil is a verb that takes a nominative subject.

• Ég = I (nominative, subject form)
• Mig = me (accusative, object form)

Some other Icelandic verbs, like langar, use an object form as the “subject”:

• Mig langar = I want / I would like (literally me longs)

But vilja (to want) behaves more like English want and takes a normal subject:

• Ég vil = I want
  So Mig vil is ungrammatical.

What does vil mean here, and how is it conjugated?

In this sentence, vil means want (to).

It’s the 1st person singular present tense of the verb vilja (to want, will). Present tense forms:

• ég vil – I want
• þú vilt – you (sg.) want
• hann / hún / það vill – he / she / it wants
• við viljum – we want
• þið viljið – you (pl.) want
• þeir / þær / þau vilja – they want

After vil, the next verb appears in the bare infinitive (without að), as in taka here.

Why is there no að before taka (why not Ég vil alltaf að taka þátt)?

After vil (and similar verbs like geta, mega, þurfa, skulu), Icelandic normally uses a bare infinitive, without að:

• Ég vil taka þátt. – I want to participate.
• Ég get talað íslensku. – I can speak Icelandic.
• Ég þarf að fara. – exception: þarf is often followed by að, but vil is not.

So Ég vil að taka þátt is wrong; it must be Ég vil taka þátt.

What form is taka, and why is it not tek?

Taka is the infinitive form of the verb (to take).

• taka = to take (dictionary / infinitive form)
• ég tek = I take (1st person singular present)

After vil, you must use the infinitive:

• Ég tek þátt. – I take part.
• Ég vil taka þátt. – I want to take part.

Using tek after vil would be incorrect:
✗ Ég vil tek þátt – wrong.

What does the expression taka þátt literally mean, and is it always used for participate?

Literally, taka þátt is take part:

• taka = take
• þátt = (a) part (in accusative case)

Idiomatically, taka þátt is the regular way to say participate / take part:

• Ég vil taka þátt. – I want to participate.
• Ég tek ekki þátt. – I don’t participate / I’m not taking part.

It is the standard, neutral way to express participate in most contexts (meetings, games, events, discussions, etc.).

Is þátt the object of taka? Why is it þátt and not þáttur?

Yes, þátt is the direct object of taka.

The noun is þáttur (part, episode, segment). It declines, and þátt is the accusative singular form:

• Nominative (subject): þáttur – the part (does something)
• Accusative (object): þátt – take a part
• Dative: þætti
• Genitive: þáttar

In the phrase taka þátt, you always see þátt (accusative) because it is what you “take”.

Can the word order change, for example Ég alltaf vil taka þátt or Ég vil taka alltaf þátt?

In a simple main clause, the normal word order in Icelandic is:

subject – finite verb – sentence adverb – other stuff

So:

• Ég vil alltaf taka þátt. – correct, natural.
  
  • Ég (subject)
  • vil (finite verb)
  • alltaf (adverb always)

The alternatives:

• Ég alltaf vil taka þátt. – sounds wrong / non‑native.
• Ég vil taka alltaf þátt. – usually wrong here; alltaf wants to modify the whole situation (always), not just taka directly, so it should come after vil.

For this meaning, keep alltaf right after vil.

How would I say I never want to participate using the same pattern?

Simply replace alltaf (always) with aldrei (never), and keep the same word order:

• Ég vil aldrei taka þátt. – I never want to participate.

Again: subject (Ég) – finite verb (vil) – sentence adverb (aldrei) – infinitive phrase (taka þátt).

What is the difference between Ég vil taka þátt and Mig langar að taka þátt?

Both can be translated as I want to participate, but they differ slightly in form and nuance.

Ég vil taka þátt

• Uses vilja (to want).
• Pattern: [nominative subject] + vil + bare infinitive.
• A bit more direct and “strong”: I want / I intend to participate.

Mig langar að taka þátt

• Uses langar, literally it longs me.
• Pattern: [accusative “subject”] + langar + að + infinitive:
  
  • Mig langar að taka þátt.
• Often feels more like I’d like to / I feel like participating, sometimes slightly softer or more emotional.

Both are very common; choice often depends on tone and context, not strict grammar.

Can taka þátt be split, like English take part in (e.g. put words in between)?

Generally, taka þátt behaves as a fixed verb–object expression and is not split by other words between taka and þátt.

Natural patterns:

• Ég vil taka þátt.
• Ég vil ekki taka þátt.
• Ég vil ekki taka þátt í þessu.

You typically put adverbs before the verb phrase or between vil and taka, not between taka and þátt:

• Ég vil alltaf taka þátt. – OK
• ✗ Ég vil taka alltaf þátt. – normally unnatural
• ✗ Ég vil taka í leikinn þátt. – wrong

So treat taka þátt as sticking together.

Do I need to add anything after taka þátt to say participate in something?

To say what you’re participating in, you add í + dative after taka þátt:

• Ég vil taka þátt í leiknum. – I want to take part in the game.
• Ég vil ekki taka þátt í fundinum. – I don’t want to take part in the meeting.
• Við ætlum að taka þátt í keppninni. – We are going to participate in the competition.

Pattern:
taka þátt í + [noun in dative case].

How do you pronounce Ég vil alltaf taka þátt?

Approximate pronunciation (using English-like hints):

• Ég – often like “yeh” or “yay”, with a soft or almost silent g.
• vil – like “vil” in “villain”, short i.
• alltaf – roughly “AL-taf”:
  
  • ll is a special Icelandic sound (often like t+l with a puff of air).
• taka – “TAH-ka”, with a clear k and both a pronounced like the a in father.
• þátt – “th-aut”, where
  
  • þ = th in think
  • á = like ow in cow
  • final tt pronounced strongly, with a little puff of air.

Said smoothly, it’s something like:
“Yeh vil AL-taf TAH-ka th-owt.” (very approximate).