Breakdown of Hvenær ætlar stelpan að syngja lagið?
stelpan
the girl
hvenær
when
að
to (infinitive marker)
ætla
to intend
syngja
to sing
lagið
the song
Questions & Answers about Hvenær ætlar stelpan að syngja lagið?
How does the ætla + að structure work in this sentence?
This sentence shows how to say someone is going to do something. The verb ætla (to intend) changes to ætlar to match the subject, which is the girl (stelpan). Then we add að and the dictionary form of the main action, syngja (to sing).
Why is the subject stelpan placed between ætlar and að syngja?
In Icelandic questions that start with a question word like Hvenær (when), the conjugated verb (ætlar) must come in the exact second position. The subject (stelpan) immediately follows it, separating the helper verb from the rest of the action (að syngja).
Why are the words for girl and song written as stelpan and lagið?
In Icelandic, the word for the is attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word. The base word stelpa (girl) becomes stelpan (the girl), and the base neuter word lag (song) gets the ending -ið to become lagið (the song).
Does the word lagið change its form because it is being sung?
Grammatically, yes. Because it is the direct object receiving the action of the verb syngja, it must be in the accusative case. However, because lag is a neuter noun, its accusative form happens to look exactly the same as its base subject form, so it stays lagið.
Learn Hvenær ætlar stelpan að syngja lagið 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