Questions & Answers about Við stöndum aftast í röðinni.
Why is it stöndum and not standum?
Because the verb is standa (to stand), and the vowel changes in some forms.
- infinitive: standa
- við form in the present tense: við stöndum
This is a common kind of vowel change in Icelandic verbs. So stöndum simply means we stand / we are standing.
Why doesn’t Icelandic use a separate word for are standing here?
Icelandic often uses the simple present where English uses am/is/are + -ing.
So:
- Við stöndum = we stand or we are standing
In this sentence, the meaning is naturally we are standing because it describes a current situation.
What does við mean?
Við means we.
It is the nominative plural pronoun, used as the subject of the sentence:
- Við stöndum = We are standing
What does aftast mean exactly?