Breakdown of Blaðið birtir fréttina á morgun.
á morgun
tomorrow
blaðið
the newspaper
fréttin
the news
birta
to publish
Questions & Answers about Blaðið birtir fréttina á morgun.
Why does the sentence use the present tense birtir when the action happens tomorrow?
In Icelandic, the simple present tense is very frequently used to express future events, especially when a time phrase like á morgun (tomorrow) is included. While you could use a future auxiliary like mun birta, the simple present is the most natural and direct way to state a scheduled future fact.
Could I use gefur út instead of birtir for "publishes" here?
Usually not. Birta is the best verb when referring to making a specific piece of information public, like a single article, a news story (frétt), or a statement. Gefa út is used for publishing complete works, like a book, an entire newspaper, or a record album.
Why is fréttina in the accusative case here?
The verb birta takes the accusative case for its direct object. Since frétt (news or news story) is a feminine noun, adding the accusative definite article makes it fréttina. If it were in the nominative case (acting as the subject), it would be fréttin.
How can I avoid confusing á morgun with í morgun?
This is a classic tricky pair! Á morgun means "tomorrow" (future). Í morgun means "this morning," but it is strictly used to refer to the past (for example, if you are speaking in the afternoon about something you did earlier today).
Learn Blaðið birtir fréttina á morgun 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