Saying "In [Time]" with Eftir
To say that something will happen "in" a certain amount of time (like "in two days"), Icelandic uses the preposition eftir (literally "after").
The amount of time following eftir must be in the accusative case. Time nouns—and any numbers (1–4) or adjectives attached to them—take their accusative forms:
- mínútur (minutes)
- klukkutíma (an hour) / hálfan klukkutíma (half an hour)
- tvo daga (two days) / þrjá daga (three days)
- viku (a week) / þrjár vikur (three weeks)
- mánuð (a month)
| The doctor's appointment is in two days. | Læknistíminn er eftir tvo daga. |
| The interview is in a week. | Viðtalið er eftir viku. |
| The annual meeting is in a month. | Ársfundurinn er eftir mánuð. |
Starting and Finishing
When discussing upcoming events, you will often use these verbs:
| to begin | hefjast |
| to finish (run out, be finished) | klárast |
Combine these verbs with eftir and a time phrase to state exactly when an event begins or ends.
| The lecture begins in an hour. | Fyrirlesturinn hefst eftir klukkutíma. |
| The premiere begins in twenty minutes. | Frumsýningin hefst eftir tuttugu mínútur. |
| The meeting finishes in ten minutes. | Fundurinn klárast eftir tíu mínútur. |
| The Christmas break begins in three weeks. | Jólaleyfið hefst eftir þrjár vikur. |
| The annual meeting begins in two days, before the Christmas break begins. | Ársfundurinn hefst eftir tvo daga, áður en jólaleyfið byrjar. |
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