Breakdown of Við hittumst klukkan átján og fórum heim klukkan nítján.
Questions & Answers about Við hittumst klukkan átján og fórum heim klukkan nítján.
Why does hittumst end in -st?
The -st ending is very important here. It shows the verb is in the middle voice, which often gives a reflexive or reciprocal meaning.
- hitta = meet/find someone
- hittast = meet each other, meet up
So við hittumst means we met each other / we met up.
If you said við hittum, that would normally need an object, for example:
- Við hittum hann. = We met him.
What tense are hittumst and fórum?
Both are in the past tense.
- hittumst = we met / we met up
- fórum = we went
Both forms are also first person plural, so they match við = we.
What are the dictionary forms of the verbs in this sentence?
The dictionary forms are:
- hittast → hittumst
- fara → fórum
So when you look them up, you would usually search for hittast and fara.
Is fórum an irregular verb form?
Yes. It comes from fara = to go, and its past tense is irregular.
Some useful forms are:
- ég fer = I go
- ég fór = I went
- við förum = we go
- við fórum = we went
So fórum is not built in a fully predictable way from the infinitive fara. It is a form you simply have to learn.
What does klukkan mean here?
In this sentence, klukkan is part of the normal way to give clock time in Icelandic.
- klukkan átján = at 18:00
- klukkan nítján = at 19:00
Learners often expect a separate word meaning at, but in time expressions like this, klukkan is the standard way to introduce the hour.
Why does Icelandic use átján and nítján here instead of sex and sjö?
Because this sentence uses the 24-hour clock:
- átján = 18
- nítján = 19
So these correspond to:
- 18:00 = 6 p.m.
- 19:00 = 7 p.m.
This is very common in Icelandic, especially when the time should be clear and unambiguous.
What does heim mean, and why is there no preposition before it?
Heim means home in the sense of toward home or homewards.
So:
- fara heim = go home
No preposition is needed. This is similar to English, where we also say go home, not go to home.
A very useful contrast is:
- heim = home, toward home
- heima = at home
For example:
- Við fórum heim. = We went home.
- Við vorum heima. = We were at home.
Why is there no við before fórum?
Because the same subject continues across both parts of the sentence.
So Icelandic, like English, can say:
- Við hittumst ... og fórum heim ...
- We met ... and went home ...
You could repeat við, but you do not need to:
- Við hittumst ... og við fórum heim ...
That is grammatical, just less compact.
Can hittumst be translated literally as met ourselves?
Not really. Even though the -st ending is related to reflexive or middle meaning, hittast is best understood as its own verb meaning meet each other or meet up.
So it is better to learn:
- hitta einhvern = meet someone
- hittast = meet each other / meet up
instead of trying to translate -st word for word every time.
Is the word order in this sentence special?
No, this is very normal Icelandic word order.
The basic structure is:
- Við hittumst klukkan átján
- og fórum heim klukkan nítján
So you have:
- subject: við
- verb: hittumst
- time expression: klukkan átján
Then the second verb phrase is joined with og = and.
Icelandic word order can be flexible, but this sentence is completely standard and natural.
Could the time be placed somewhere else in the sentence?
Yes. Icelandic often allows time expressions to move, depending on emphasis.
For example, you may see patterns like:
- Við hittumst klukkan átján.
- Klukkan átján hittumst við.
Both are possible, but if the sentence starts with klukkan átján, Icelandic still keeps the verb in second position, so you get:
- Klukkan átján hittumst við
That verb-second pattern is a key feature of Icelandic.
What is the difference between hitta and hittast in practice?
A simple way to remember it is:
- hitta + object = meet someone
- hittast = meet each other / meet up
Examples:
- Ég hitti Söru. = I met Sara.
- Við hittumst. = We met each other / We met up.
So in your sentence, hittumst is used because the subject is we, and the meaning is reciprocal.
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