Breakdown of Við vorum tólf í vinnunni.
vera
to be
við
we
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
vinnan
the work
Questions & Answers about Við vorum tólf í vinnunni.
Does the number tólf change its form depending on who or what is being counted?
No. Unlike the numbers 1 through 4 (which change based on gender and case), the numbers 11 through 20 are indeclinable. That means tólf stays exactly the same no matter what!
Why do we say í vinnunni for "at work" instead of using the preposition á?
Prepositions for places in Icelandic often just have to be memorized. While á is used for many common locations, vinna (work) almost always pairs with í.
Why is the word for work spelled vinnunni here?
The dictionary form is vinna. Because the preposition í describes a stationary location here (meaning there is no movement to or from it), it forces the noun into the dative case, making it vinnu. Then, the definite article suffix -nni is added, giving us vinnunni.
English just says "at work", so why does the Icelandic literally say "in the work" with the definite article?
Icelandic frequently uses the definite article for everyday places and institutions where English leaves it out. You will often see this pattern with daily routines, such as í vinnunni (at work) or í skólanum (at school).