Breakdown of Venjulega vinna þeir hér.
hér
here
þeir
they (m)
vinna
to work (general labor, to do work)
venjulega
usually
Questions & Answers about Venjulega vinna þeir hér.
Why does the sentence say vinna þeir instead of þeir vinna?
In Icelandic, the main verb almost always has to be the second piece of information in a sentence. This is known as the V2 rule. Because this sentence puts the adverb venjulega (usually) in the first spot, the verb vinna (work) must come immediately after it. That pushes the subject þeir (they) into the third position.
Could I start the sentence with þeir instead?
Yes! If you start with the subject, the sentence becomes Þeir vinna venjulega hér. Notice that the verb vinna is still in the second position. Moving venjulega to the front of the sentence like we did here just puts a little more emphasis on the word 'Usually'.
Is þeir the only word for 'they'?
No, Icelandic has three words for 'they' depending on gender. Þeir is masculine, used for a group of men (or masculine nouns). You use þær for a group of females, and þau for a mixed group of people or a group of neuter nouns.
Is vinna the dictionary form (infinitive) or the conjugated verb here?
It is the conjugated verb! For many Icelandic verbs, the present tense form for 'they' looks exactly the same as the infinitive dictionary form. While að vinna means 'to work', here it acts as the active plural verb 'work'.