ELONIO
Log inSign up

Við ætlum á tónleika með nýrri hljómsveit í kvöld.

Við ætlum á tónleika með nýrri hljómsveit í kvöld.
We are going to a concert with a new band tonight.
FromLesson 68inHardcore Icelandic

Questions & Answers about Við ætlum á tónleika með nýrri hljómsveit í kvöld.

Why is there no infinitive like að fara after ætlum?

In Icelandic, ætla can often be used without an explicit infinitive when the intended movement is obvious from the rest of the sentence.

So:

Við ætlum á tónleika
literally feels like We intend to [go] to a concert.

The verb fara is understood. A fuller version would be:

Við ætlum að fara á tónleika í kvöld.

Both are natural, but the shorter version is very common in everyday Icelandic.

What exactly does ætlum mean here?

Ætlum is the 1st person plural present tense of ætla.

Here it means something like:

  • we intend
  • we are planning
  • we’re going to

So even though it is grammatically present tense, it usually points to a future plan or intention.

If ætlum is present tense, why is the sentence translated as future in English?

Because Icelandic often uses present-tense forms to talk about planned future actions, especially with verbs like ætla.

So:

Við ætlum ... í kvöld
means We’re going to ... tonight / We plan to ... tonight.

English often uses going to or will, while Icelandic can simply use ætla in the present.

Why is við included if ætlum already means we intend?

Even though the verb ending already shows that the subject is we, Icelandic normally still includes the subject pronoun.

So við ætlum is the normal full form.

Unlike languages that regularly drop subject pronouns, Icelandic usually keeps them. The verb ending helps identify the person, but the pronoun is still normally there.

Why does it say á tónleika?

The preposition á is commonly used with events that you attend.

So Icelandic says:

  • fara á tónleika = go to a concert
  • fara á fund = go to a meeting
  • fara á námskeið = go to a course

This is just the standard idiomatic choice. English uses to, but Icelandic often uses á in these cases.

Also, á here takes the accusative case, which is why the noun appears as tónleika.

Why is tónleika plural, even if the meaning in English is a concert?

Because tónleikar is a noun that is normally used in the plural in Icelandic.

Its basic forms are:

So:

á tónleika
is grammatically plural in Icelandic, even though English often translates it as singular: to a concert.

This is a very common thing to notice as a learner: Icelandic and English do not always match in number.

Why is it nýrri hljómsveit and not nýja hljómsveit?

Because með takes the dative case when it means with.

So hljómsveit must be in the dative, and the adjective must agree with it.

Here:

  • hljómsveit = feminine singular noun
  • after með = dative
  • adjective must match = nýrri

So:

með nýrri hljómsveit = with a new band

This is adjective agreement in action: the adjective changes form depending on gender, number, and case.

Does hljómsveit itself change in the dative?

In this phrase, the noun hljómsveit looks the same as it does in some other singular forms, so the case change is most visible on the adjective, not the noun.

That is why learners often notice:

  • ný hljómsveit
  • nýrri hljómsveit

The noun stays hljómsveit, but the adjective changes and shows the dative clearly.

Why is there no separate word for a before nýrri hljómsveit?

Because Icelandic has no indefinite article.

So Icelandic does not have a separate word for a/an.

That means:

nýrri hljómsveit
can mean a new band

If Icelandic wants to express definiteness, it usually does that with the definite article attached to the noun, not with a separate word like English the.

What does í kvöld mean literally, and why is í used?

Í kvöld means tonight.

Literally, í often corresponds to in, so learners may first think of in the evening, but í kvöld is simply the standard Icelandic expression for tonight.

This is one of those places where you should learn the whole phrase as a unit:

  • í morgun = this morning
  • í dag = today
  • í kvöld = tonight

English does not need a preposition here, but Icelandic does.

Can the word order be changed?

Yes. Icelandic word order is flexible, but main clauses follow the verb-second pattern.

The sentence as given is:

Við ætlum á tónleika með nýrri hljómsveit í kvöld.

If you want to emphasize tonight, you can move it to the front:

Í kvöld ætlum við á tónleika með nýrri hljómsveit.

Notice what happens: when í kvöld moves to the front, the verb ætlum still comes second, and við moves after it.

That verb-second pattern is a very important feature of Icelandic sentence structure.

What does með nýrri hljómsveit imply here?

Grammatically, it simply means with a new band.

In real context, that could mean slightly different things depending on the situation, for example:

  • you are going together with a new band
  • the concert involves or features a new band

Usually the surrounding context makes it clear. The grammar itself just gives the basic meaning with a new band.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
Your avatar
“What's the best way to learn Icelandic grammar?”
Icelandic grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Icelandic

Master Icelandic — from Við ætlum á tónleika með nýrri hljómsveit í kvöld to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Icelandic→