Ég les skilaboðin strax.

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Breakdown of Ég les skilaboðin strax.

• lesa: to read
• strax: immediately
• skilaboðin: the messages

Questions & Answers about Ég les skilaboðin strax.

How do you pronounce Ég les skilaboðin strax?

A rough guide (standard Icelandic):

• Ég: /jɛːɣ/ (often sounds like yehgh; the g is a voiced fricative)
• les: /lɛːs/ (less with a long e)
• skilaboðin: roughly /ˈscɪːlaˌpɔðɪn/ (the ð is like th in this)
• strax: /straks/ (like strahks)

Stress is usually on the first syllable of a word: SKI-la-bo-ðin, STRAX.

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Why is it les and not lesa?

les is the 1st person singular present tense form of the verb að lesa (to read).

• að lesa = infinitive (to read)
• ég les = I read / I am reading
• þú lest = you read
• hann/hún/það les = he/she/it reads

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Does Ég les... mean “I read” or “I am reading”?

Both, depending on context. Icelandic present tense commonly covers:

• habitual: I read
• ongoing: