Breakdown of Hann mjálmar oft í tvo tíma ef hann finnur ekki bælið.
hann
he
ekki
not
oft
often
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
tveir
two
finna
to find
tíminn
the time / the class (m) / the hour
ef
if
mjálma
to meow
bælið
the pet bed
Questions & Answers about Hann mjálmar oft í tvo tíma ef hann finnur ekki bælið.
Why do we use í here to mean "for"?
To express how long an action lasts (duration), Icelandic uses the preposition í followed by the accusative case. English speakers often want to use fyrir, but í tvo tíma is the correct way to say "for two hours".
Wait, doesn't tíma come from tími, meaning "time"? How does it mean "hours" here?
Yes, tími literally translates to "time". However, when counting duration with numbers, it means "hour". So tvo tíma (accusative plural) means "two hours". You will also hear klukkutíma or klukkustundir used for "hours".
What kind of word is bælið, and what does it mean without the article?
Bælið comes from the neuter noun bæli, which refers to an animal's resting place, lair, or pet bed. The -ð at the end is the attached neuter definite article, making it "the pet bed".
Why does ekki come after the verb finnur in the ef clause?
In most conditional clauses starting with ef (if), the sentence behaves like a normal main clause where the adverb ekki (not) follows the finite verb. You say ef hann finnur ekki (literally "if he finds not") rather than putting ekki before the verb.
Learn Hann mjálmar oft í tvo tíma ef hann finnur ekki bælið 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