Word
Þess vegna fer ég heim.
Meaning
That is why I am going home.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Þess vegna fer ég heim.
Why is the verb before the subject here (fer ég instead of ég fer)?
Icelandic has a strict "verb-second" rule. Because the phrase Þess vegna takes up the first position in the sentence, the verb fer must come second. This pushes the subject ég into the third position.
How do the words Þess vegna mean "that is why"?
It literally means "because of that". The word vegna means "because of", and it requires the word linked to it to be in the genitive case. Þess is the genitive form of það (it/that).
Why is the word for home heim instead of heima?
Icelandic uses different words depending on whether you are moving towards a place or already resting there. You use heim for motion towards home (like with the verb fer), but you would use heima if you were already there, as in ég er heima (I am at home).
Does fer translate directly to "am going"?
Yes, in this context! Icelandic does not have a separate present continuous tense like English. The simple present verb fer can mean "go", "am going", or even "will go", depending on what makes the most sense in the sentence.