Breakdown of Við vinnum alltaf á mánudögum.
við
we
alltaf
always
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
vinna
to work (general labor, to do work)
Questions & Answers about Við vinnum alltaf á mánudögum.
Why do we use the dative form mánudögum here instead of the accusative?
Because we are talking about a recurring event! In Icelandic, using the preposition á with a day of the week in the dative case means it happens every week (on Mondays). If you were talking about a single, specific Monday, you would use á with the accusative case instead.
How does the base word mánudagur change to become mánudögum?
First, we need the plural because it happens on multiple Mondays. The plural of dagur (day) is dagar. Then, because it follows á for a recurring event, it takes the dative case. The plural dative ending is usually -um. Adding this -um triggers a vowel change where the first a flips to an ö, giving us dögum. Put it together, and you get mánudögum.
Why does alltaf come after the verb vinnum?
In English, we usually put the adverb before the verb (we always work). But Icelandic has a strict rule for main sentences: the verb must be the second piece of information. Because Við (we) is in the first position, the verb vinnum must come next, pushing adverbs like alltaf (always) into the third spot.
What is the base form of vinnum, and why does it end in -um?