Breakdown of Ég er að fara að versla í matvöruversluninni.
ég
I
í
at
vera að fara að
to be about to
versla
to shop
Questions & Answers about Ég er að fara að versla í matvöruversluninni.
Why are there two að’s in Ég er að fara að versla…?
They belong to two different constructions:
- vera að + infinitive = a “progressive/ongoing” frame: Ég er að fara… ≈ I’m (in the process of) going…
- fara að + infinitive = “start/about to” construction: fara að versla ≈ start going shopping / be about to shop So Ég er að fara að versla is basically “I’m (right now) about to go shopping / I’m getting ready to go shopping.”
Does vera að always mean “-ing” like English?
Often, but not perfectly. vera að + infinitive commonly expresses something in progress or imminent, similar to English be + -ing, but Icelandic uses it differently in some contexts. Here it’s natural because it describes a near-future/ongoing action (I’m on my way / I’m about to…). Icelandic can also use the simple present for things English would put in -ing, depending on context.
What exactly does fara að add here? Could I just say Ég fer að versla or Ég ætla að versla?
They’re close but not identical:
- fara að + infinitive: emphasis on beginning/being on the verge of starting (I’m about to start shopping / I’m going off to shop).
- ætla að + infinitive: intention/plan (I intend to shop / I’m going to shop (plan)).
- Ég fer að versla: can mean “I start shopping / I’m going to start shopping,” but it’s less “right now in progress” than Ég er að fara að… Your sentence sounds like “I’m just about to head out to go shopping.”