Breakdown of Hvenær fara þær í sundlaugina?
þær
they (f)
hvenær
when
fara
to go
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
sundlaugin
the swimming pool
Questions & Answers about Hvenær fara þær í sundlaugina?
Why does í mean "to" here, doesn't it usually mean "in"?
In Icelandic, the preposition í is often used for going into or to places that are enclosed, like a pool, a building, or a country. When it shows motion or direction toward a destination, it requires the noun to be in the accusative case.
Why is the word for "the pool" sundlaugina here?
The base word is sundlaug (swimming pool). Because the people are moving towards the pool, the preposition í forces the noun into the accusative case. For a feminine noun like this one, adding the accusative "the" ending gives us sundlaugina.
Why does the sentence use þær for "they"?
Icelandic has three words for "they": þeir (a group of all males), þær (a group of all females), and þau (a mixed group). Using þær tells us that everyone going to the pool in this sentence is female.
How do we say "are going" instead of just "go"?
Icelandic doesn't have an exact match for the English "are going" structure. The simple present tense verb fara covers both "they go" and "they are going", so you just use fara.
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