Breakdown of Ég hef tíma en ég hef ekki áhuga.
ég
I
en
but
ekki
not
tíminn
the time / the class (m) / the hour
hafa
to have
áhuginn
the interest
Questions & Answers about Ég hef tíma en ég hef ekki áhuga.
Why is the verb hef used here instead of er með?
In Icelandic, we use the verb hafa (conjugated here as hef for I have) for abstract things you possess, like time (tíma) or interest (áhuga). For physical objects you can hold or carry, you would usually use vera með instead.
Why do the words for time and interest end in an 'a' (tíma, áhuga)?
Their dictionary forms are tími and áhugi. The verb hafa forces the thing you have into the accusative case. For these specific masculine nouns that end in -i, the accusative form changes the ending to -a.
How does the negation work in ég hef ekki áhuga?
Icelandic doesn't use a helper verb like 'do' for negative sentences. You simply place the negative word ekki (not) directly after the verb. It translates literally to 'I have not interest'.
Is hef conjugated normally for an -a verb?
No, hafa is an irregular verb. Instead of keeping the 'a' from the infinitive, the vowel changes to 'e' for the 'I' form, giving us ég hef.
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