Nei, við förum ekki í dag.

A word-by-word breakdown is:

• Nei = No
• við = we
• förum = go / are going
• ekki = not
• í dag = today

So the full sentence means No, we are not going today.

Fara is the infinitive, meaning to go.

In the sentence, the verb has to match the subject við (we), so Icelandic uses the conjugated form förum.

For the verb fara in the present tense:

• ég fer = I go
• þú ferð = you go
• hann/hún/það fer = he/she/it goes
• við förum = we go
• þið farið = you all go
• þeir/þær/þau fara = they go

So við förum is simply the correct we form.

Förum is present tense.

However, just like the English present tense can refer to the future in some contexts, Icelandic present tense can also do that. So:

• Við förum í dag can mean We are going today or We go today, depending on context.

That is why the sentence is naturally translated as we are not going today, even though Icelandic does not use a separate are going form here.

Because Icelandic often uses the simple present tense where English uses be + -ing.

English:

• We are going today

Icelandic:

• Við förum í dag

So Icelandic does not need a separate auxiliary verb like are in this sentence. The single verb förum carries the meaning.

If you want to emphasize an ongoing action, Icelandic can use other constructions, but in everyday speech the simple present is very common for this kind of idea.

In Icelandic, ekki (not) usually comes after the finite verb in a main clause.

So:

• Við förum ekki í dag = We are not going today

This word order is very normal in Icelandic.

Compare:

• Ég kem ekki = I am not coming
• Hann skilur ekki = He does not understand
• Við förum ekki í dag = We are not going today

For an English speaker, this is something to get used to, since English puts not after an auxiliary verb, but Icelandic often puts ekki after the main finite verb.

Í dag means today.

Literally, it is made up of:

• í = in
• dag = day

But together í dag functions as the normal Icelandic expression for today.

This is just the standard idiomatic phrase, so it is best to learn it as a unit.

You will also see similar time expressions, for example:

• í morgun = this morning / in the morning
• í kvöld = tonight / this evening

Dagur is the basic dictionary form of the noun, meaning day.

After the preposition í, the noun changes form here, becoming dag. This is because Icelandic nouns change depending on grammar and case.

So:

• dagur = day
• í dag = today

A learner does not need to master all the case rules immediately, but it is useful to notice that Icelandic nouns often change form after prepositions.

This is a normal part of Icelandic verb conjugation. Some verbs change their stem vowel in certain forms.

With fara:

• infinitive: fara
• 1st person singular: fer
• 1st person plural: förum

So the change from a to ö is just part of how this verb is formed. English has a few vaguely similar irregular patterns, though not in the same way.

The best approach is to learn fara together with a few key forms:

• fara
• fer
• förum
• fór = went

A rough English-friendly guide would be:

• Nei ≈ nay
• við ≈ vith / vithh
• förum ≈ FUR-um or FEU-rum, with the ö sound somewhat like the vowel in French peur or German hören
• ekki ≈ EHK-kih
• í dag ≈ ee douwgh / ee daag, depending on how detailed you want to be

A few useful notes:

• ð in við is like the th in this
• r is usually trilled or tapped
• ll, nn, kk, etc. are often pronounced quite distinctly in Icelandic
• Long and short vowels matter

If you want a safer beginner goal, focus on saying:

• Nei
• við
• förum
• ekki
• í dag

clearly and separately first.

Yes, it is natural here.

Nei is functioning as a separate response word: No. After that, the speaker adds the full sentence:

• Nei, við förum ekki í dag.

This is like English:

• No, we’re not going today.

You may also hear just:

• Við förum ekki í dag.

if the speaker is simply making the statement without the standalone No.

Yes.

• Nei, við förum ekki í dag. = No, we are not going today.
• Við förum ekki í dag. = We are not going today.

Adding Nei makes it sound like a response to a question or suggestion.

For example:

• Förum við í dag? = Are we going today?
• Nei, við förum ekki í dag. = No, we are not going today.

Yes, Icelandic allows some flexibility.

These are all possible, though the emphasis changes:

• Við förum ekki í dag. = neutral
• Í dag förum við ekki. = emphasis on today
• Við förum í dag ekki = not normal

So while Icelandic word order is somewhat flexible, you cannot move words completely freely. The most natural basic version here is:

• Við förum ekki í dag.

Normally, no. It is only capitalized if it begins a sentence.

So:

• Við förum ekki í dag.
• Nei, við förum ekki í dag.

The second version uses lowercase við because it comes after Nei, not at the start of the sentence.

Yes, absolutely.

Nei, við förum ekki í dag. is a normal, natural sentence. It sounds like something someone would say in everyday conversation when answering a question or correcting an assumption.

For example:

• Eigum við að fara í dag? = Are we supposed to go today?
• Nei, við förum ekki í dag. = No, we are not going today.

So this is a very useful sentence pattern to learn.