Við höfum oft ferðast um Ísland á sumrin.

We have often traveled around Iceland in the summers.

Breakdown of Við höfum oft ferðast um Ísland á sumrin.

• við: we
• hafa: to have
• á: in
• sumarið: the summer

Questions & Answers about Við höfum oft ferðast um Ísland á sumrin.

Why are there two verbs in höfum oft ferðast? What does höfum ferðast literally mean?

Höfum ferðast is a present perfect form, made from:

• höfum – the present tense of hafa (to have) for við (we)
• ferðast – the supine (a kind of non‑finite form) of ferðast (to travel)

Literally, við höfum ferðast = we have travelled.

So the sentence Við höfum oft ferðast um Ísland á sumrin corresponds to English We have often travelled around Iceland in the summers.

How is höfum formed, and why is it used with við?

Höfum is the 1st person plural present of hafa (to have).

Present tense of hafa:

• ég hef – I have
• þú hefur – you have (sg.)
• hann/hún/það hefur – he/she/it has
• við höfum – we have
• þið hafið – you have (pl.)
• þeir/þær/þau hafa – they have

Because the subject is við (we), the verb must agree in person and number, so you use höfum.

What kind of verb is , and how is it different from just or ?