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Á miðvikudögum fer ég í bókasafnið eftir vinnu.

Á miðvikudögum fer ég í bókasafnið eftir vinnu.
On Wednesdays I go to the library after work.

Breakdown of Á miðvikudögum fer ég í bókasafnið eftir vinnu.

ég
I
fara
to go
í
to
eftir
after
bókasafnið
the library
vinnan
the work
á miðvikudögum
on Wednesdays
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Questions & Answers about Á miðvikudögum fer ég í bókasafnið eftir vinnu.

Why does miðvikudögum end in -um?

Because á (in the sense of on for days/frequency) takes the dative case here.
miðvikudagur (Wednesday) → dative plural miðvikudögum. The -um ending is a common dative plural ending for masculine nouns.

Why is it Á miðvikudögum (plural) and not á miðvikudegi (singular)?

Both can be correct, but they don’t mean exactly the same thing:

  • Á miðvikudögum = on Wednesdays (a repeated/habitual thing)
  • Á miðvikudegi = on Wednesday (often one specific Wednesday, depending on context)

So the plural is the natural choice for “every Wednesday / Wednesdays in general.”

Is á always used for “on” days of the week?

Very often, yes: á mánudögum, á þriðjudögum, etc. (dative plural for the “on (days)” idea).
But Icelandic also uses other time expressions without á in some contexts, so it’s not a universal rule—just a very common pattern for weekdays.

Why is the verb fer before ég? Shouldn’t it be “I go”?

Icelandic is a V2 (verb-second) language in main clauses: the finite verb typically comes second.
Here, Á miðvikudögum is placed first (a time phrase), so the verb fer comes next, and the subject ég follows:

  • Á miðvikudögum (1st) + fer (2nd) + ég (then the rest)

If you start with the subject, you get the more English-like order:

  • Ég fer í bókasafnið eftir vinnu.
What’s the difference between í bókasafnið and í bókasafninu?

With í, the case changes depending on meaning:

  • í + accusative (here: í bókasafnið) = movement/direction (into/to the library)
  • í + dative (í bókasafninu) = location (in the library)

So this sentence uses accusative because you’re going there (movement).

Why does bókasafn become bókasafnið?

bókasafnið is:

  • bókasafn (library) + the definite article attached as a suffix (-ið)
    It also matches the accusative singular form needed after í for motion.

In other words, it’s the library (not just a library).

Could I leave off the “the” and say í bókasafn?

Yes. í bókasafn would be more like to a library / to (some) library, less specific.
Using í bókasafnið implies a particular library that’s understood from context (e.g., the one you usually go to).

Why is it eftir vinnu and not eftir vinnuna?

Both are possible, with a nuance:

  • eftir vinnu = after work (work as an activity/period, more general)
  • eftir vinnuna = after the work/after the shift (more specific, like after my workday/that specific work)

The general “after work” phrasing is very common, so eftir vinnu fits well.

What case does eftir take here?

In modern Icelandic, eftir typically governs the accusative.
So vinnu here is the accusative singular of vinna (work).

Is the present tense fer used even though it’s a habitual action?

Yes. Icelandic commonly uses the present tense for habitual/repeated actions, just like English can:

  • Á miðvikudögum fer ég... = “On Wednesdays I go...”

If you wanted to emphasize a plan or near future, present tense can also do that, but here the time phrase clearly signals habit.

How do I pronounce tricky parts like miðvikudögum and bókasafnið?

A few helpful points:

  • mið- has an i like “i” in bit (not like “eye”).
  • ð in miðvik- is often very soft; many learners can think of it as a gentle “th” sound, but it can be reduced in casual speech.
  • bó is like “bo” with a long ó (similar to o in go, but pure and long).
  • -ið at the end of bókasafnið is roughly like “ith” (with ð softened).