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Á morgun förum við með gler og plast í endurvinnslu.

Á morgun förum við með gler og plast í endurvinnslu.
Tomorrow we take glass and plastic for recycling.
FromLesson 36inHardcore Icelandic
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Questions & Answers about Á morgun förum við með gler og plast í endurvinnslu.

Why does Á morgun come first—does it change the word order?

Yes. Putting a time expression first triggers Icelandic V2 word order (the finite verb comes in the second position).
So you get: Á morgun (time) + förum (finite verb) + við (subject) …
If you start with the subject instead, it would be: Við förum á morgun með gler og plast í endurvinnslu.

What exactly is á morgun grammatically? Why á?
Á morgun is an idiomatic time phrase meaning tomorrow. Literally it’s like on (the) morning, using the preposition á with morgun. You usually just learn á morgun as a fixed expression.
What verb form is förum? How do I know who is doing the action?

Förum is the present tense, 1st person plural form of fara (to go). It matches við (we).
So við förum = we go / we are going. With á morgun, it naturally reads as we’re going tomorrow (future meaning via context).

Why is Icelandic using present tense to talk about the future?

Icelandic commonly uses the present tense with a future time marker to express future plans:
Á morgun förum við… = Tomorrow we’re going…
You can use future-like constructions (e.g., munum), but the plain present is very natural here.

What is the role of með here? Is it literally “with”?

Here með is used in the sense of taking/bringing something along:
fara með X = take/bring X (with you) / take X somewhere.
So förum við með gler og plast means we’re taking glass and plastic (with us) to a place.

Why does með cause those noun forms—what case are gler and plast in?

The preposition með normally governs the accusative when it means accompaniment/bringing something: með + accusative.
In this particular sentence, gler and plast don’t visibly change because they’re neuter nouns whose accusative singular looks the same as the nominative. But grammatically, they’re accusative.

Are gler and plast singular or plural here? Why no plural ending?
They’re being used as mass/material nouns (like English glass and plastic). In that usage, Icelandic often keeps them in the singular even when you mean “some glass/plastic items” in general. Context makes it clear it’s the material category, not one specific object.
Why is it gler og plast and not the other way around? Does word order matter in the noun list?
In a simple list joined by og (and), the order is usually stylistic and doesn’t change the basic meaning. You could also say plast og gler. People often choose an order that sounds conventional or natural in context.
What does í endurvinnslu literally mean, and why í?

endurvinnsla means recycling.
í + accusative commonly indicates movement/destination (into/to something). So í endurvinnslu is essentially to recycling / to be recycled—i.e., taking it to the recycling system/facility/bin.

What case is endurvinnslu and why does it look like that?

endurvinnslu is the accusative (and also dative/genitive in some contexts) form of the feminine noun endurvinnsla.
After í with a destination meaning, Icelandic uses the accusative, hence í endurvinnslu.

Could I also say til endurvinnslu? Would it mean the same thing?

Often yes, with a slightly different nuance:

  • í endurvinnslu focuses on moving it into the recycling stream/system (destination).
  • til endurvinnslu means for recycling / to be recycled (purpose).
    Both are common depending on what you want to emphasize.
How is this sentence pronounced (roughly), especially förum, með, and endurvinnslu?

A rough guide (varies by accent):

  • Á morgun ≈ ow MOR-ghun (with a clear r)
  • förum ≈ FUR-um (the ö is like a rounded vowel, not English “oh”)
  • við ≈ vith (final ð is a soft “th” sound)
  • með ≈ meth (again soft “th”)
  • endurvinnslu ≈ EN-dur-vin-slu (stress on the first syllable: EN-)

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