Breakdown of Ég er þyrstur og vil vatnið.
vera
to be
og
and
ég
I
vatnið
the water
vilja
to want (to will, be willing)
þyrstur
thirsty
Questions & Answers about Ég er þyrstur og vil vatnið.
Why is "thirsty" translated as þyrstur here? Can anyone say this?
In Icelandic, adjectives that describe a person must match that person's gender. Þyrstur has the masculine ending -ur, meaning a male is speaking. If a woman were saying this, she would use the feminine form and say Ég er þyrst.
I know the dictionary form of the verb "to want" is vilja. Why is it just vil in this sentence?
Vilja is a highly irregular verb. While many regular verbs in the "ég" (I) form end in a vowel (like ég tala or ég drekk), vilja loses its ending completely to become ég vil. It is an important exception to memorize!
How does vatnið mean "the water"? Where is the word for "the"?
What case is vatnið in, since it comes after the verb vil?
It is in the accusative case, because it is the direct object being wanted. However, because vatn is a neuter noun, its accusative form is exactly the same as its nominative (dictionary) form. That's why the word doesn't look like it changed case at all.
Learn Ég er þyrstur og vil vatnið and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free