Learn Icelandic: Ég hef það bara fínt.

Ég hef það bara fínt.

I am just fine.

Breakdown of Ég hef það bara fínt.

ég

það

it / there (existential) / the one (n)

Questions & Answers about Ég hef það bara fínt.

Why does this sentence use hef (have) instead of a word for "am"?

In English, we say "I am fine", but in Icelandic, you literally say "I have it fine" (Ég hef það fínt). This perfectly answers the question from this lesson: Hvernig hefur þú það? (How are you? / Literally: How do you have it?).

What is the purpose of the word það in this sentence?

það means "it". Since the Icelandic expression for "how are you" is built around the verb hafa (to have), it requires an object. You are literally telling the other person that you have "it" (your current situation) just fine.

Why is the word for fine spelled fínt instead of fínn?

Adjectives in Icelandic change their endings to match the grammatical gender of what they describe. fínt gets a -t ending because it is describing það (it), which is a neuter pronoun.

Can I leave out bara?

Yes, you can just say Ég hef það fínt. Adding bara ("just" or "only") simply makes the sentence sound a bit more casual and natural, exactly like saying "I'm just fine" in English.