Breakdown of Við villtumst í skóginum.
við
we
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
skógurinn
the forest
villast
to get lost (lose one's way)
Questions & Answers about Við villtumst í skóginum.
Why does the verb villtumst end in -st?
This is the middle voice of the verb villa (to mislead). By adding the -st ending, the action becomes spontaneous or reflects back on the subject. So, while villa means to lead someone astray, villast means to get lost.
How is the exact form villtumst built?
It is formed by taking the regular active past tense for við (we), which is villtum, and simply adding the middle voice suffix -st. So, við villtum (we misled) becomes við villtumst (we got lost).
Could I just say Við vorum villt instead?
Yes, but there is a slight difference in meaning. Við vorum villt means you were lost (describing a static condition or state), whereas the middle voice verb villtumst emphasizes the actual event: you got lost.
Why is it í skóginum instead of í skóginn?
The preposition í takes the dative case when describing a static location, and the accusative case for movement into a place. Because being lost describes where you are rather than moving into a new destination, it triggers the dative case. The dative form of skógurinn (the forest) is skóginum.