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Ég ætla að hvíla mig í smástund eftir vinnu.

Ég ætla að hvíla mig í smástund eftir vinnu.
I’m going to rest for a little while after work.
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Questions & Answers about Ég ætla að hvíla mig í smástund eftir vinnu.

Why does the sentence start with Ég? Can Icelandic drop the subject like Spanish?

Icelandic generally keeps an explicit subject, so Ég (I) is normal and expected. You can omit the subject in some contexts (especially in informal speech, diaries, or when it’s obvious), but it’s much less common than in many “pro-drop” languages. For learners, it’s best to include Ég.

What exactly does ætla að mean here, and how is it used?

að ætla að + infinitive is a very common way to express intention/plan: I intend to / I’m going to do something.

  • Ég ætla að hvíla mig = I’m going to rest (myself) / I intend to rest.
    Grammar-wise, ætla is conjugated for the subject (ég ætla), and the next verb (hvíla) stays in the infinitive after að.
Why is there an að before hvíla? Is it like to in English?

Often, yes: að commonly marks an infinitive, similar to English to.
In Ég ætla að hvíla mig, the structure is [finite verb] + að + [infinitive]. Many verbs of intention, trying, beginning, etc. use this pattern in Icelandic.

What does hvíla mig literally mean, and why is mig there?

hvíla means to rest, and mig is the object pronoun me in the accusative. Icelandic often expresses “to rest” as to rest oneself (a reflexive-like pattern):

  • að hvíla sig = to rest (oneself)
    So Ég ætla að hvíla mig is literally “I’m going to rest me,” i.e., “I’m going to rest.”
Why is it mig and not ég or mér?

Because hvíla here takes an accusative object:

  • ég = nominative (subject form)
  • mig = accusative (object form)
  • mér = dative (used with verbs/prepositions that govern dative)
    So the verb pattern is hvíla + accusative → hvíla mig / þig / sig / okkur, etc.
How would this change for other people (you/he/we)?

You keep ætla conjugated and change the pronouns accordingly:

  • Þú ætlar að hvíla þig. (You’re going to rest.)
  • Hann ætlar að hvíla sig. (He’s going to rest.)
  • Við ætlum að hvíla okkur. (We’re going to rest.)
    Pronoun set (accusative): mig, þig, sig, okkur, ykkur, sig.
What does í smástund mean grammatically, and why is it í?

í smástund means for a little while. Icelandic often uses í + accusative to express duration (“for X time”):

  • í eina mínútu = for one minute
  • í klukkutíma = for an hour
  • í smástund = for a short while
    So í here is “for (a period of time),” not “in (inside).”
What is smástund? Is it one word or two?

It’s one word: smástund = a short while / a brief moment. It’s a compound:

  • smá- = small
  • stund = moment/while/hour (context-dependent)
    Here it means a brief while, not an hour.
Why is it eftir vinnu and not something like “after the work”?

Icelandic often omits the equivalent of the in situations where English prefers it, especially with general activities like work, school, dinner, etc.
eftir vinnu is a very common, natural way to say after work (as a general time). You can be more specific in Icelandic too, but the plain form is idiomatic.

What case is vinnu, and why does it end in -u?

eftir usually governs the accusative case when it means “after” (time/sequence).
vinna (work) is a feminine noun, and in the accusative singular it becomes vinnu.
So: eftir + accusative → eftir vinnu.

What is the basic word order here, and is it flexible?

The sentence follows a very common Icelandic pattern:
Subject – finite verb – infinitive phrase – time phrase
Ég (S) ætla (V) að hvíla mig (infinitive clause) í smástund eftir vinnu (time info).
Icelandic word order is flexible, but the finite verb position is quite structured (V2 rules in main clauses). This sentence is already in the most neutral, textbook-like order.

How would I negate this sentence (“I’m not going to rest…”)? Where does ekki go?

You usually place ekki after the finite verb:

  • Ég ætla ekki að hvíla mig í smástund eftir vinnu.
    (I’m not going to rest for a little while after work.)
    That placement (after ætla) is the most natural.
How do I say it in the past (“I was going to rest…” / “I intended to rest…”)?

Change ætla to past tense ætlaði:

  • Ég ætlaði að hvíla mig í smástund eftir vinnu.
    This can mean “I was going to rest…” or “I intended to rest…”, depending on context.
How is this sentence pronounced (especially Ég, ætla, hvíla, and eftir)?

A few high-impact pronunciation notes:

  • Ég: the g is not a hard English g; it’s often a soft sound (and can be very subtle depending on speaker/position).
  • ætla: the tl cluster is characteristic; many learners first pronounce it too “English-like.”
  • hvíla: hv- is pronounced like a “wh”-type sound for many speakers; í is a long ee sound.
  • eftir: the ft is clear; r is typically trilled/tapped.
    (If you want, tell me what accent you’re aiming for and I can give a more precise, accent-targeted breakdown.)