Ég vil æfa íslenskuna daglega.

I want to practice Icelandic every day.

Breakdown of Ég vil æfa íslenskuna daglega.

• ég: I
• vilja: to want
• æfa: to practice
• íslenskan: Icelandic

Questions & Answers about Ég vil æfa íslenskuna daglega.

What does “Ég vil” literally mean, and is it the normal way to say “I want”?

“Ég vil” literally means “I want”.

• Ég = I
• vil = want (1st person singular of vilja, to want)

Yes, this is the standard and very common way to say I want in Icelandic.
Examples:

• Ég vil sofa. – I want to sleep.
• Ég vil kaffi. – I want coffee.

Why is it “vil æfa” and not “vil að æfa”?

In Icelandic, the verb vilja (to want) is followed directly by the infinitive of another verb without “að”.

So you say:

• Ég vil æfa. – I want to practice.
  not:
• Ég vil að æfa. – This is wrong.

However, when you have a full clause, then you use að:

• Ég vil að þú æfir meira. – I want you to practice more.

What form of the verb is “æfa”, and what does it mean?