Breakdown of Á miðvikudögum hittumst við í eldhúsinu hjá henni og eldum saman.
við
we
saman
together
elda
to cook
í
in
Questions & Answers about Á miðvikudögum hittumst við í eldhúsinu hjá henni og eldum saman.
Why does miðvikudagur become miðvikudögum here?
Because it’s in the dative plural. In time expressions like á miðvikudögum (on Wednesdays, meaning a regular/habitual schedule), Icelandic commonly uses á + dative plural.
- Nominative sg.: miðvikudagur
- Dative pl.: miðvikudögum (ending -um is a big hint)
Could I also say á miðvikudaginn? What’s the difference?
Yes, and the meaning changes slightly:
- á miðvikudögum = on Wednesdays (habitual/repeated)
- á miðvikudaginn = on Wednesday (a specific Wednesday; typically accusative singular with the definite ending -inn)
Why is the word order Á miðvikudögum hittumst við… instead of …við hittumst…?
This is Icelandic V2 word order in a main clause: the finite verb usually comes in the second position.
- Á miðvikudögum (something other than the subject is placed first)
- hittumst (verb must come second)
- við (subject comes after the verb in this pattern)
You can also say Við hittumst á miðvikudögum…, which is a more “subject-first” order.
What does the -st in hittumst do?