Word
Í júlí viljum við ekki bara ferðast meira, heldur líka sofa lengur, en í ágúst förum við smám saman aftur í vinnuna.
Meaning
In July we want not only to travel more, but also to sleep longer, but in August we gradually go back to work.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Í júlí viljum við ekki bara ferðast meira, heldur líka sofa lengur, en í ágúst förum við smám saman aftur í vinnuna.
vilja
to want
við
we
fara
to go
í
to
Questions & Answers about Í júlí viljum við ekki bara ferðast meira, heldur líka sofa lengur, en í ágúst förum við smám saman aftur í vinnuna.
Why is the word order Í júlí viljum við instead of Í júlí við viljum?
This is because Icelandic follows the V2 rule in main clauses: the finite verb normally comes in the second position.
So when the sentence starts with a time expression like Í júlí (In July), the verb viljum has to come next, and the subject við comes after it:
- Í júlí viljum við ...
- literally: In July want we ...
If the sentence started with the subject, then you would get:
- Við viljum ... = We want ...
This word order is very common in Icelandic.
What case is used in í júlí and í ágúst, and why?
Here í means in, referring to time, so it takes the dative case.
That is why Icelandic says:
- í júlí = in July
- í ágúst = in August
A useful rule is:
- í + dative for location / being in something, and also many time expressions
- í + accusative for movement into something
That same contrast appears later in the sentence with í vinnuna.
What does ekki bara ..., heldur líka ... mean?