Questions & Answers about Við notum alltaf áskriftina.
Why is alltaf placed after the verb notum instead of before it like in English?
In Icelandic main clauses, adverbs of frequency like alltaf (always) must come directly after the conjugated verb. While in English we say 'We always use', Icelandic places the verb second, making the word order 'We use always' (Við notum alltaf).
Can I move alltaf to the beginning of the sentence to emphasize it?
Yes, you can start the sentence with Alltaf, but you must remember the V2 rule (the verb must be the second piece of information). If you put the adverb first, the subject and verb swap places to keep the verb in the second position, making the sentence Alltaf notum við áskriftina.
Why does the word for 'the subscription' end in -ina here instead of -in?
The verb nota (to use) forces its direct object into the accusative case. The base word is áskrift, which is a feminine noun. When you add the definite article ('the') in the standard nominative case it is áskriftin, but because it is receiving the action here, it changes to the accusative definite form áskriftina.
Why does the verb notum end in -um?
The ending -um is the standard present tense ending that matches the pronoun við (we). In Icelandic, verbs change their endings based on who is doing the action, and an -um ending on a verb almost always signals 'we'.
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