Learn Icelandic: Þau eru að synda í sundlauginni.

Þau eru að synda í sundlauginni.

They are swimming in the pool.

Breakdown of Þau eru að synda í sundlauginni.

to (infinitive marker)

in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)

Questions & Answers about Þau eru að synda í sundlauginni.

Why does the sentence use eru að synda instead of just a single verb?

This is the present continuous structure, which is the main focus of this lesson! It shows that an action is happening right now. To build it, you use a form of the verb vera (to be) matched to the subject, followed by að, and then the infinitive form of the action verb. So eru means "are", and að synda translates to "swimming".

Why is þau used for "they" here instead of þeir or þær?

Þau is the neuter plural form of "they". In Icelandic, if you are talking about a mixed group of males and females, or if you simply do not know the genders of the people in the pool, you always use the neuter þau. You only use þeir for an all-male group and þær for an all-female group.

How does the word sundlauginni break down?

The base word is sundlaug, which means "swimming pool". In Icelandic, the word for "the" is attached to the end of the noun. The ending -inni is the definite article meaning "the" for a feminine noun in the dative case.

Why is sundlauginni in the dative case here?