The Modal Verb "geta"
To express ability—saying what you "can" or "are able to" do—Icelandic uses the modal verb geta.
Unlike most auxiliary verbs in Icelandic (which take the infinitive), geta always pairs with the supine (sagnbót) form of the main verb.
Here is the present tense conjugation of geta:
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| ég | get |
| þú | getur |
| hann/hún/það | getur |
| við | getum |
| þið | getið |
| þeir/þær/þau | geta |
Pair the conjugated form of geta with the supine of your main verb (like flautað for whistled or leyst for solved).
| I can whistle the song. | Ég get flautað lagið. |
| He can solve the puzzle. | Hann getur leyst púslið. |
| We can dive in the swimming pool. | Við getum kafað í sundlauginni. |
Asking Questions
To ask someone if they can do something, swap the order of the subject and the verb, placing the conjugated form of geta at the beginning of the sentence. The main verb remains in the supine.
| Can you show the magic trick? | Getur þú sýnt töfrabragðið? |
| Can the dog jump over the fence? | Getur hundurinn hoppað yfir girðinguna? |
Saying "Cannot"
To express inability, place the negation word ekki immediately after the conjugated form of geta.
| The boy cannot jump. | Strákurinn getur ekki hoppað. |
| I cannot lift the box. | Ég get ekki lyft kassanum. |
Discussing Talents
You can use geta to talk about special skills, hidden talents (hæfileiki), or how fluently you speak a language.
| The teacher can speak English fluently. | Kennarinn getur talað ensku reiprennandi. |
| She can whistle very well. | Hún getur flautað mjög vel. |
