Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Ég er frjáls í dag.

So literally it is I am free in day, which corresponds to natural English I’m free today. The phrase í dag is an idiomatic time expression meaning today, not in the day in normal usage.

Why is it frjáls and not frjálst or some other ending?

Frjáls is an adjective, and in Icelandic adjectives agree with the noun (or pronoun’s referent) in gender, number, and case.

The basic forms of frjáls in the nominative singular are:

masculine: frjáls
feminine: frjáls
neuter: frjálst

In Ég er frjáls í dag, frjáls is describing ég (I). The pronoun ég can refer to a male or a female person, but grammatically it behaves like masculine/feminine here, so you use frjáls, not frjálst.

You would use:

Húsið er frjálst = The house is free (neuter noun hús → neuter adjective frjálst).

So frjáls is the correct form because the subject Ég is not neuter.

What’s the difference between frjáls and laus when I want to say I’m free (not busy)?

Both can translate as free, but they have different typical uses:

frjáls
- Core meaning: free as in not bound, not enslaved, independent.
- Also used figuratively: free in a broad, more abstract sense.
- Ég er frjáls í dag can be understood as I’m free today, but it may sound a bit more like I’m at liberty / I’m unbound today, depending on context.
laus
- Very common for available / not busy / not occupied.
- Examples:
  - Ég er laus í dag. = I’m free today / I’m available today.
  - Er þú laus á morgun? = Are you free tomorrow?
  - Stóllinn er laus. = The chair is free / not taken.

In everyday speech, if you mean I’m not busy; I’m available, Ég er laus í dag is usually more idiomatic than Ég er frjáls í dag.

Can Ég er frjáls í dag also mean I’m free (not a prisoner) today?

Yes, frjáls very naturally has the meaning free vs. bound / imprisoned / enslaved.

So, in a suitable context:

Ég er frjáls í dag. could mean
- Today I am free (I’ve been released, I’m no longer imprisoned / controlled).

Without context, most people will probably interpret it as I’m free / at liberty today, but if the topic is prison, obligation, control, or similar, the meaning not imprisoned becomes strong and clear.

Why is the time expression í dag at the end? Could I say Ég er í dag frjáls?

Default, neutral word order in Icelandic is similar to English:

Subject – Verb – (Predicate) – Time
→ Ég er frjáls í dag.

Í dag is a time adverbial and very commonly comes at the end of the sentence.

You can say Ég er í dag frjáls, but:

It sounds marked, with special emphasis, like:
- It is *today that I’m free* or
- Today (as opposed to other days) I’m free.

Time adverbials in Icelandic can move for emphasis, but for a normal, neutral statement, Ég er frjáls í dag is the most natural word order.

Can I drop Ég and just say Er frjáls í dag like Spanish or Italian often drop the subject?

Generally no. In Icelandic, the subject pronoun is normally required, unlike in many Romance languages.

So:

Ég er frjáls í dag. = correct, normal.
Er frjáls í dag. = feels incomplete or fragmentary, like Am free today in English.

You might see subject dropping in very informal writing (text messages, notes, diaries) when the subject is totally obvious, but in standard, correct Icelandic you should keep Ég.

How do I say I’m not free today and where does ekki go?

To negate Ég er frjáls í dag, you insert ekki (not) after the verb er:

Ég er ekki frjáls í dag.
= I’m not free today.

Basic pattern in the present tense:

Ég er → Ég er ekki …
Þú ert → Þú ert ekki …
Hann/Hún er → Hann/Hún er ekki …

The time expression í dag remains at the end:

Ég er ekki frjáls í dag.
Ég er ekki laus í dag. (I’m not available today.)

How is Ég er frjáls í dag pronounced?

Approximate pronunciation (IPA) and notes:

Ég: [jɛiːɣ] or [jɛːɣ]
- Starts with a y-sound as in yes.
- Ends with a soft gh-like sound [ɣ], made at the back of the mouth.
er: [ɛr̥] or [ɛr]
- Short e as in bed.
- Final r can be somewhat devoiced.
frjáls: [frjau̯s] or [frjau̯ls]
- frj-: like fry with an extra y-glide.
- á: [au̯], similar to ow in now.
- Final ls often simplifies in rapid speech.
í: [iː]
- Long ee sound as in see, but tenser.
dag: [taːɣ] (often with devoiced [taːk̚] at the end)
- Initial d often sounds closer to a t.
- a is long [aː], like in father.
- Final g is a soft back consonant [ɣ] or may be very weak.

Stress is on the first syllable of each word: Ég, er, frjáls, í, dag.

Is í dag the only way to say today? What about í daginn?

Í dag is the standard, neutral way to say today:

Ég er frjáls í dag. = I’m free today.

Í daginn also exists, but:

It is more colloquial and somewhat regional.
It can feel like during the day / in the daytime, depending on context.

For a learner, the safest and most correct general choice is í dag whenever you mean today.

How do I conjugate vera (to be) in the present, so I can change the subject in this sentence?

The present tense of vera is irregular and very common. Here are the singular and plural forms:

Singular:

Ég er = I am
Þú ert = You are (singular, informal)
Hann er = He is
Hún er = She is
Það er = It is

Plural:

Við erum = We are
Þið eruð = You are (plural)
Þeir eru = They are (masc.)
Þær eru = They are (fem.)
Þau eru = They are (neut.)

Using these with frjáls í dag:

Ég er frjáls í dag. = I am free today.
Þú ert frjáls í dag. = You are free today.
Við erum frjáls í dag. (more natural: Við erum frjáls í dag or Við erum frjáls with plural agreement adjusted: Við erum frjálsir í dag.) = We are free today.

If I just want to say I’m free today in a very natural, everyday way (meaning “I’m available”), what would Icelanders most likely say?

Common, natural options include:

Ég er laus í dag.
- Very idiomatic for I’m free / available today (not busy).
Ég hef tíma í dag.
- Literally: I have time today → I have time today / I can make time today.
Ég er ekki upptekinn í dag. (for a man)
Ég er ekki upptekin í dag. (for a woman)
- I’m not busy today.

Ég er frjáls í dag is correct Icelandic and understandable, but in the everyday “I’m not busy” sense, Ég er laus í dag is probably the most natural-sounding choice.