Við sitjum kyrr í smástund.

we

Breakdown of Við sitjum kyrr í smástund.

• sitja: to sit
• í: for
• smástund: the little while

Questions & Answers about Við sitjum kyrr í smástund.

Why is the verb sitjum and not sitja?

Sitja is the dictionary form, meaning to sit.

In the sentence, the verb has to agree with við (we), so it becomes sitjum, which is the 1st person plural present tense form:

• ég sit — I sit / I am sitting
• þú situr — you sit / you are sitting
• við sitjum — we sit / we are sitting

So Við sitjum means we sit or we are sitting.

Does Við sitjum mean we sit or we are sitting?

It can mean either, depending on context.

Icelandic often uses the simple present where English might use either:

• we sit
• we are sitting

So Við sitjum kyrr í smástund can naturally be understood as We sit still for a moment or We are sitting still for a moment.

What exactly does kyrr mean here?

Kyrr means still, motionless, or without moving.

In this sentence, it tells you how we are sitting: not fidgeting, not getting up, not moving around.

It is very common with verbs of position or movement, for example:

• sitja kyrr — sit still
• standa kyrr — stand still
• vera kyrr — be still / stay still

So here kyrr adds the idea of remaining still.