Breakdown of Hann vill fara í bíóið með kærustunni.
hann
he
fara
to go
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
vilja
to want (to will, be willing)
með
with
bíóið
the cinema
kærastan
the girlfriend
Questions & Answers about Hann vill fara í bíóið með kærustunni.
Why is the word for girlfriend kærustunni here instead of its base form kærasta?
This sentence uses the preposition með to mean 'with' (accompanying someone). When used this way, með forces the following noun into the dative case. The word kærasta changes to kærustu in the dative, and adding the definite article (the 'the' ending) makes it kærustunni.
The English translation says 'his girlfriend', but where is the word for 'his' in the Icelandic sentence?
Icelandic often drops possessive words like 'his' or 'my' when talking about close family members, partners, or body parts, as it's usually obvious from the context. Instead, they just use the definite article. So, með kærustunni literally means 'with the girlfriend', but implies it is his own.
Why do we use í to mean 'to' the cinema, and why is it bíóið?
In Icelandic, you typically use í (in/into) when going to certain places like the cinema, the theater, or the swimming pool. Because there is physical movement towards the destination, í takes the accusative case here. Bíó is a neuter word, and its accusative form with the definite article 'the' attached is bíóið.
Why is the verb 'wants' translated as vill here?
The verb að vilja (to want) is highly irregular. The form for 'I', 'he', 'she', and 'it' is vill. Notice that just like in English, it pairs with the infinitive (dictionary form) of the main verb. That is why it is immediately followed by fara (to go).
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