Strong Verbs: 1st and 3rd Person Singular
Unlike regular verbs that take predictable endings (like -ði or -ti), strong verbs in the past tense change their core vowel.
For the singular pronouns ég (I) and hann / hún / það (he / she / it), the past tense form is identical. There is no special ending—just the vowel change.
| Infinitive | Past Tense (ég, hann, hún, það) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| detta | datt | fell |
| skera | skar | cut |
| bíta | beit | bit |
| stíga | steig | stepped |
| grípa | greip | caught |
| finna | fann | found |
To tell anecdotes about minor mishaps, you will often use words like óvart (accidentally) and óhapp (accident).
| I accidentally fell outside yesterday. | Ég datt óvart úti í gær. |
| I accidentally cut myself. | Ég skar mig óvart. |
| The dog bit me, this was an accident. | Hundurinn beit mig, þetta var óhapp. |
| The cat stepped on the glass. | Kötturinn steig á glerið. |
| The cup fell but the man caught it. | Bollinn datt en maðurinn greip hann. |
The 2nd Person Singular: "þú"
When talking directly to someone using þú (you), strong verbs in the simple past tense add the ending -st to the 1st/3rd person form.
For example, skar becomes skarst, steig becomes steigst, and greip becomes greipst. If an accident involves a cut, you might also need plásturinn (the Band-Aid).
| Did you step on the glass accidentally? | Steigst þú óvart á glerið? |
| I found the Band-Aid because you cut yourself. | Ég fann plásturinn af því að þú skarst þig. |
Luck and Mishaps
When sharing stories about unexpected events, you will often comment on whether someone was heppinn (lucky) or óheppinn (unlucky).
| You caught the toy, you are lucky. | Þú greipst leikfangið, þú ert heppinn. |
| The boy was unlucky because he fell. | Strákurinn var óheppinn af því að hann datt. |
When talking about multiple people (such as við or þau in a mixed group), these adjectives change to their neuter plural forms: heppin and óheppin.
| We are lucky but they are unlucky. | Við erum heppin en þau eru óheppin. |