Log inSign up

Þau munu tala íslensku saman í kvöld.

Þau munu tala íslensku saman í kvöld.
They will speak Icelandic together tonight.

Breakdown of Þau munu tala íslensku saman í kvöld.

tala
to speak
saman
together
íslenskur
Icelandic
í kvöld
tonight
þau
they
munu
will
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Icelandic now

Questions & Answers about Þau munu tala íslensku saman í kvöld.

Why does the sentence start with Þau? What does that pronoun imply?

Þau is the 3rd-person plural neuter pronoun (they). Icelandic uses:

  • þeir = they (masculine plural)
  • þær = they (feminine plural)
  • þau = they (neuter plural) and very commonly for a mixed-gender group, or when you’re talking about children/young people as a group, or an unspecified group. So Þau doesn’t mean the people are “neuter” in English terms; it’s often the default for “they” when the group isn’t all-male or all-female.
What is the role of munu here? Is it the future tense?

munu is a present-tense form of the verb munu used as a future/likely future auxiliary:

  • Þau munu tala = they will / they are going to speak Structure: munu + infinitive (here, tala). It often suggests a prediction/expectation (“will probably/are expected to”), but in many contexts it’s just a neutral “will.”
Can Icelandic use the present tense instead of munu to talk about the future?

Yes. Very often Icelandic uses the present tense with a time expression:

  • Þau tala íslensku í kvöld. = They speak/Icelandic tonight → “They’re speaking Icelandic tonight.” You can also use ætla að (intend to):
  • Þau ætla að tala íslensku í kvöld. = They intend/plan to speak Icelandic tonight. So munu is just one common way to express future meaning.
Why is it tala and not a conjugated form like “talks/talk”?

Because after the auxiliary munu, Icelandic uses the infinitive:

  • munu tala (will speak) So tala is the infinitive “to speak.”
Why is íslensku not capitalized? In English “Icelandic” is capitalized.

In Icelandic, names of languages and nationalities are usually not capitalized unless they start a sentence:

  • íslenska (Icelandic language)
  • ensk(a) (English) So íslensku is correctly lowercase here.
Why is it íslensku and not íslenska?

Because tala takes the language as an object, and the language name íslenska declines like a noun/adjective. Here it’s in the accusative singular:

  • nominative: íslenska
  • accusative: íslensku
  • dative: íslensku
  • genitive: íslensku So tala íslensku = “speak Icelandic.”
What does saman do in the sentence, and where can it go?

saman means together. It’s an adverb and is fairly flexible:

  • Þau munu tala íslensku saman í kvöld.
  • Þau munu tala saman íslensku í kvöld. Both are possible; placement is often about emphasis and rhythm. Putting saman after the object (íslensku) is very common.
Why is it í kvöld? What case is kvöld in?

í kvöld means tonight. With time expressions, í typically governs the accusative (duration/when):

  • kvöld is neuter; nominative/accusative singular are the same form: kvöld So you don’t see a change in form here even though it’s accusative.
What is the normal word order in a sentence like this?

This sentence is in straightforward main-clause order:

  • Subject: Þau
  • Auxiliary verb (2nd position): munu
  • Infinitive: tala
  • Object: íslensku
  • Adverb: saman
  • Time phrase: í kvöld So it follows the common Icelandic main-clause pattern where the finite verb (munu) comes early.
How do you pronounce tricky parts like Þau, íslensku, and kvöld?

A practical guide (approximate):

  • Þau: th (as in thin) + oy/öy-like diphthong → roughly “thoy” (varies by speaker)
  • íslensku: stress on the first syllable: EES-len-sku (with a clear í = long “ee”)
  • kvöld: the ö is like German ö / French eu; roughly “kvœld” (and ld is pronounced together, not as two separate syllables)