Questions & Answers about Ég kem strax heim eftir vinnu.
Why is kem (present tense) used if the sentence is talking about the future?
In Icelandic, the present tense is very commonly used for near-future plans when the context makes the timing clear.
Here, eftir vinnu (after work) already places the action in the future, so Ég kem… naturally means I’m coming / I’ll come….
What verb is kem and how is it formed?
Kem is the 1st person singular present tense of the verb koma (to come).
Basic present tense forms:
- ég kem = I come / I’m coming
- þú kemur = you come
- hann/hún/það kemur = he/she/it comes
- við komum = we come
- þið komið = you (pl.) come
- þeir/þær/þau koma = they come
Can I leave out Ég like in some languages?
Usually no. Icelandic normally keeps subject pronouns; the verb ending alone typically isn’t treated as enough information in everyday speech.
So Ég kem strax heim… is the standard way. (In very informal contexts you might drop it, but it’s not the safe default.)
Why is the word order Ég kem strax heim and not something like ?