Breakdown of Já, en pabbi má ekki veiða í ánni.
já
yes
en
but
ekki
not
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
pabbinn
the dad (informal)
mega
to be allowed to
veiða
to fish
áin
the river
Questions & Answers about Já, en pabbi má ekki veiða í ánni.
Why do we use má here instead of the dictionary form mega?
má is the conjugated form of the modal verb mega (to be allowed to/may) for the third-person singular (pabbi, meaning dad). Modal verbs often have irregular present tense forms, so mega becomes má for he, she, and it.
Why is there no að (to) before veiða?
Because mega is a modal verb, it pairs directly with the bare infinitive of the main verb. Just like in English where we say 'may fish' instead of 'may to fish', in Icelandic you say má veiða instead of má að veiða.
What dictates the placement of ekki (not) in this sentence?
In a standard main clause with a modal verb, the negative word ekki comes directly after the conjugated modal verb (má) and before the main infinitive verb (veiða).
How does the word for river turn into ánni?
The base word for river is á. The preposition í (in) takes the dative case here because it describes a stationary location. The dative form of á is still á, but we need to attach the definite article (the) to the end. For feminine dative words, that suffix is -nni, giving us ánni (the river).
Doesn't veiða also mean 'to hunt'?
Yes! The verb veiða is a general word for hunting, catching, or fishing. You can usually tell exactly what it means from the context. Since the action here is happening í ánni (in the river), it translates naturally to fishing.
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