To talk about what is happening right now, Icelandic uses a structure very similar to the English "-ing" form (the present continuous).
Form it using the present tense of vera (to be), the word að, and the infinitive (base) form of the main verb.
| Pronoun | Present Tense |
|---|---|
| Ég (I) | er |
| Þú (You sg.) | ert |
| Hann/Hún/Það (He/She/It) | er |
| Við (We) | erum |
| Þið (You pl.) | eruð |
| Þeir/Þær/Þau (They) | eru |
Ongoing Actions
To say someone is doing something, conjugate vera for the subject, add að, and leave your action verb in its infinitive form.
| The child is crying now. | Barnið er að gráta núna. |
| She is laughing a lot. | Hún er að hlæja mikið. |
Asking Questions
To ask if someone is doing something, swap the subject and the conjugated verb vera. The að and the infinitive verb stay together.
| Are you crying? | Ert þú að gráta? |
| What are you thinking about? | Hvað eruð þið að hugsa um? |
Negative Actions
To say someone is not doing something, place the negative word ekki immediately after the conjugated form of vera, right before að.
| We are not laughing. | Við erum ekki að hlæja. |
| Dad is not watching television. | Pabbi er ekki að horfa á sjónvarpið. |
Objects and Locations
Direct objects or locations simply follow the infinitive verb at the end of the sentence.
| The boy is drawing the cat. | Strákurinn er að teikna köttinn. |
| They are swimming in the pool. | Þau eru að synda í sundlauginni. |
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