When facing rough seas or long days on a commercial trawler, you might find yourself wishing things were different. To express strong hypothetical wishes in Icelandic, we use specific phrases followed by the past subjunctive—the verb mood used for imaginary, unreal, or contrary-to-fact situations.
Before we look at the phrases, here are the most common past subjunctive verbs you will need for this lesson:
| Infinitive | Past Subjunctive (Singular) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| vera | væri | was / were |
| hafa | hefði | had |
| geta | gæti | could |
(Note: If the subject is plural, *væri becomes væru).*
"I wish" (Ég vildi að)
To say "I wish," use the phrase ég vildi að (literally: "I wanted that"). The clause that follows must use a past subjunctive verb, even if you are wishing for something right now.
| I wish the ocean were calm today. | Ég vildi að hafið væri lygnt í dag. |
| I wish I wasn't so seasick. | Ég vildi að ég væri ekki svona sjóveikur. |
| I wish the trawler had a larger catch. | Ég vildi að togarinn hefði stærri afla. |
"If only" (Bara ef)
For an even stronger or more dramatic wish, you can use bara ef ("just if" or "if only"). Just like ég vildi að, it immediately triggers the past subjunctive.
| If only the trawler were in the harbor. | Bara ef togarinn væri í höfninni. |
| If only I had warm boots. | Bara ef ég hefði hlý stígvél. |
| If only the deckhand could sort the catch. | Bara ef hásetinn gæti flokkað aflann. |
Matching Plural Subjects
Remember that the subjunctive verb must still agree with its subject. If you are wishing about a plural noun (like the waves), the verb changes to its plural form.
| If only the rough seas were over and the waves were smaller. | Bara ef brælan væri búin og bylgjurnar væru minni. |