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Fundurinn er í gangi núna.

Fundurinn er í gangi núna.
The meeting is in progress now.
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Questions & Answers about Fundurinn er í gangi núna.

Why does fundur become fundurinn here?

Fundurinn is fundur (meeting, masculine) with the definite article attached as a suffix: -inn.

  • fundur = a meeting (indefinite)
  • fundurinn = the meeting (definite)
    In this sentence, fundurinn is the subject in the nominative case, so you see the nominative definite form.
How do I know the gender and article ending in fundurinn?

You generally learn the noun with its gender: fundur (m.). For masculine nouns, the nominative singular definite ending is commonly -inn (with some variation depending on the noun’s ending).
Here it’s: fundur + -inn → fundurinn.

What is the role of er in the sentence?

Er is the present tense of að vera (to be). It links the subject fundurinn to the rest of the information, much like English is:

  • Fundurinn er ... = The meeting is ...
What does í gangi literally mean, and why is it used?
Í gangi is an idiomatic phrase meaning in progress / underway / going on. Literally, it’s something like in motion / in going (not a word-for-word match to English). Icelandic often uses this structure to express what English says with a progressive form (is happening, is going on).
Why is it í gangi and not just gangi?
Because í is the preposition meaning in, and it requires a noun phrase that functions as its complement. The fixed expression is í gangi. Without í, it wouldn’t have the intended idiomatic meaning.
What case is gangi in, and why?
Gangi is the dative singular of gangur (in the relevant sense used by the idiom). The preposition í can govern different cases depending on meaning; in this set phrase (í gangi = in progress), it’s dative.
Is Icelandic using a “present continuous” here?

Not as a verb tense the way English does. Icelandic doesn’t have a dedicated present continuous form like is running. Instead, it often uses:

  • simple present (er) + an expression like í gangi to convey “currently happening / ongoing”.
Why is núna at the end? Can it be moved?

Yes, núna (now) is flexible. Placing it at the end is very natural. You can also see:

  • Fundurinn er núna í gangi.
    Both are understandable; word order changes can shift emphasis slightly, but both are common.
Does í gangi núna sound redundant if í gangi already suggests “currently”?

It can be slightly emphatic rather than redundant. Í gangi means in progress, and adding núna highlights right now / at the moment—for example, contrasting with later:

  • The meeting is in progress now (so you can’t come in / call / etc.).
How would I negate this sentence?

You typically put ekki after the verb:

  • Fundurinn er ekki í gangi núna. = The meeting isn’t in progress now.
How would I turn this into a yes/no question?

Invert the verb and subject:

  • Er fundurinn í gangi núna? = Is the meeting in progress now?
How is Fundurinn er í gangi núna pronounced (roughly)?

A practical learner-friendly approximation:

  • FUND-ur-in er ee GANG-i NOO-na
    Notes:
  • Stress is usually on the first syllable: FUNDurinn, GANGi, NÚna.
  • í is like a long ee sound.
  • The rolled/trilled r and the Icelandic vowel qualities take practice, but the stress pattern helps a lot.
Could I also say Fundurinn stendur yfir núna? Is it the same?

Yes, standa yfir is another common way to say something is ongoing / taking place:

  • Fundurinn stendur yfir núna.
    It’s very close in meaning to er í gangi, with a slightly different “feel”: standa yfir is often used for events/periods that are underway, while í gangi is a very general “in progress” phrase. Both are natural for a meeting.