Questions & Answers about Ég tek snarlið með mér í vinnuna.
What verb is tek, and why does it look so different from the dictionary form?
Tek is the 1st person singular present form of the verb taka (to take).
So:
- að taka = to take
- ég tek = I take
This verb is a bit irregular, so the present tense does not simply look like taka plus an ending. That is why tek may seem quite different at first.
A few useful present-tense forms are:
- ég tek = I take
- þú tekur = you take
- hann/hún/það tekur = he/she/it takes
In this sentence, ég tek can often be understood naturally as I take / I’m taking depending on context.
Does tek here mean take or bring?
Literally, tek means take. But in a sentence like this, English often prefers bring.
That is because Icelandic commonly says take X with me where English might say bring X with me.
So:
- Ég tek snarlið með mér í vinnuna
literally: I take the snack with me to work - natural English: I bring the snack with me to work
This is very normal Icelandic usage.