Breakdown of Sérð þú þessar flöskur? Ég ætla að þvo þær.
ég
I
þú
you
þær
they (f)
að
to (infinitive marker)
sjá
to see
ætla
to intend
flaskan
the bottle
þvo
to wash
þessi
this (m/f)
Questions & Answers about Sérð þú þessar flöskur? Ég ætla að þvo þær.
Why is it þessar flöskur and not another form of þessi?
The word for bottle, flaska, is a feminine noun. Here, it is in the plural (flöskur) and in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb sjá (to see). The feminine, accusative, plural form of the demonstrative pronoun þessi (this/these) is þessar.
Why does the second sentence use þær for "them"? Isn't that the word for "they" when talking about women?
Exactly! But in Icelandic, you must use the pronoun that matches the grammatical gender of the noun you are replacing. Since flaska is a feminine noun, we use the feminine plural pronoun þær to mean "them" when referring to the bottles. Also, þvo (to wash) takes the accusative case, and the accusative form of þær is just þær.
Is sérð related to the verb sjá (to see)? It looks quite different.
Yes, sérð is the "you" (singular) form of sjá. This verb has a vowel shift in its conjugation. For ég (I), it is sé, and for þú (you), we add the -rð ending to make sérð.
How does ætla að translate to "am going to"?
The verb ætla means to intend or to plan. When you combine it with the infinitive marker að and another verb (here, þvo meaning to wash), it forms a very common way to express future plans in Icelandic, just like "going to" in English.
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