Questions & Answers about Við verðum áfram í borginni.
What does each individual word in Við verðum áfram í borginni mean?
Breakdown:
- Við = we (1st person plural pronoun).
- verðum = will be / will stay / will remain (1st person plural, present tense of að verða, often used with future meaning).
- áfram = on, further, still, continue → here: stay on / remain.
- í = in.
- borginni = the city (dative singular of borg “city” with the definite ending -inni).
So a natural translation is: “We will stay (on) in the city.” or “We’re staying in the city.”
What tense is verðum, and how can it mean “will stay”?
Verðum is present tense of að verða (to become / to be / to get).
Conjugation (present):
- ég verð – I become / I will be
- þú verður – you become / you will be
- hann / hún / það verður – he / she / it becomes / will be
- við verðum – we become / we will be
- þið verðið – you (pl.) become / will be
- þeir / þær / þau verða – they become / will be
Icelandic does not have a separate future tense like English. Instead, it typically uses:
- present tense with future meaning (very common), and/or
- verbs like munu or ætla for emphasis or intention.
Here verðum in context means “will be / will stay” in the future.
Why is it verðum and not erum (from , “to be”)?