Breakdown of Hún hatar að bíða lengi.
hún
she
að
to (infinitive marker)
bíða
to wait
lengi
for a long time
hata
to hate
Questions & Answers about Hún hatar að bíða lengi.
Why does the Icelandic sentence use að bíða (to wait) when the English translation says waiting?
Icelandic does not have a direct equivalent to the English -ing verb form when talking about activities like this. Instead, after verbs expressing likes or dislikes, such as hata, you use the word að plus the infinitive verb. It literally translates to she hates to wait.
Could I use langt instead of lengi to say a long time?
No, because lengi is an adverb specifically used for time, meaning for a long time. The word langt is an adjective used to describe physical length or distance, such as a long road.
Why do we need the word að in this sentence?
The word að connects the main verb hatar to the second verb bíða. You generally need að before an infinitive verb in Icelandic, similar to the word to in English. The main exceptions are helper verbs like vilja (to want) or geta (can), which do not take að.
Is the verb hata regular?
Yes, it is a regular a-group verb. In the present tense singular, it keeps the a sound: ég hata, þú hatar, hún hatar. Just watch out for the plural we form: the a changes to ö to become við hötum due to a common vowel change called the u-shift.
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