Breakdown of Seinna um kvöldið kom önnur viðvörun í símann minn, en þá vorum við komin heim.
Questions & Answers about Seinna um kvöldið kom önnur viðvörun í símann minn, en þá vorum við komin heim.
Why is the word order Seinna um kvöldið kom önnur viðvörun instead of Önnur viðvörun kom seinna um kvöldið?
Because Icelandic normally follows a verb-second pattern in main clauses.
Here, Seinna um kvöldið takes the first position. Once that slot is filled, the finite verb kom must come second, and the subject önnur viðvörun comes after it.
So the pattern is:
- Seinna um kvöldið = first slot
- kom = verb in second slot
- önnur viðvörun = subject
If you started with the subject instead, Önnur viðvörun kom seinna um kvöldið would also be grammatical.
What does Seinna um kvöldið mean literally, and why is um used?
Literally:
- seinna = later
- um kvöldið = in the evening / that evening
So Seinna um kvöldið means later in the evening or later that evening.
The preposition um is very common in time expressions and often means something like during or around. In this use, it takes the accusative case, which is why you get kvöldið here.
Why is it önnur viðvörun and not annar viðvörun?
Because viðvörun is a feminine noun.
The word annar changes form to match the gender, number, and case of the noun it goes with:
- annar = masculine
- önnur = feminine
- annað = neuter
Since viðvörun is feminine singular nominative here, the correct form is önnur.
Can önnur mean both another and second?
How do I know that önnur viðvörun is the subject, even though it comes after kom?
There are two main clues:
- Word order: Icelandic often puts the verb before the subject because of verb-second word order.
- Meaning and structure: önnur viðvörun is the thing that came, so it is the subject.
So even though it comes after the verb, it is still the subject of kom.
Why is it í símann minn and not í símanum mínum?
Because Icelandic often uses accusative after í when there is movement or something entering something.
Here the idea is that the warning came into / onto / to the phone, so you get:
- í símann minn = into/to my phone
If you used í símanum mínum, that would be dative and would describe location inside the phone, not movement into it.
This is part of a very common Icelandic pattern:
- í + accusative = motion into
- í + dative = location in
Why is the possessive written after the noun: símann minn?
That is the normal Icelandic pattern.
Icelandic usually says:
- síminn minn = my phone
- símann minn = my phone, accusative
So the noun comes first, and the possessive pronoun comes after it.
A form like minn sími is possible, but it is more marked and often sounds emphatic, contrastive, or more literary.
What does en þá mean here?
Here:
- en = but
- þá = then / at that point / by then
So en þá means something like:
- but by then
- but at that point
- but then
In this sentence, by then is especially natural because the second clause describes a state that was already true at that time.
Why does the sentence say vorum við komin heim instead of just komum heim?
Because vera + kominn expresses a resulting state: the action of arriving had already happened, and the result was that we were already home.
So:
- við komum heim = we came home / we arrived home
- við vorum komin heim = we had arrived home / we were already home
The second version emphasizes that by the time the warning came, the arrival was already completed.
That is why it fits well with þá.
What exactly is komin here?
komin is the past participle / adjective-like form of koma in this construction.
Icelandic often uses vera + past participle to describe a state resulting from an action:
- vera kominn heim = to have arrived home / to be home after arriving
So vorum við komin heim is not just a simple past event. It describes the state of already having arrived.
This construction is very common with verbs of movement.
Why is the form komin used with við?
This is a point learners often notice because agreement in Icelandic can look a bit flexible in everyday usage.
In more strictly gender-marked agreement, you may also see forms such as:
- komnir for a masculine or mixed group
- komnar for an all-female group
But komin is also very common with við in modern Icelandic, especially when the sentence does not spell out the gender makeup of the group.
So the safest thing for a learner is:
- recognize vera komin heim as a very common expression
- understand that the participle can vary in form depending on agreement and usage
Why is it heim and not heima?
Because heim and heima are different words.
- heim = home, homeward, to home
- heima = at home
With movement or arrival, Icelandic uses heim:
- koma heim = come home
- vera komin heim = have arrived home
With location, Icelandic uses heima:
- vera heima = be at home
So komin heim is correct because the idea is arrived home, not just were at home.
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