Breakdown of Við þekkjumst af því að við hittumst oft á gangstéttinni.
við
we
oft
often
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
hittast
to meet each other
af því að
because
þekkjast
to know each other
gangstéttin
the sidewalk
Questions & Answers about Við þekkjumst af því að við hittumst oft á gangstéttinni.
How do þekkjumst and hittumst translate to "know each other" and "meet each other"?
The -st ending on these verbs creates a reciprocal meaning. This means the action is happening between two or more people. You don't need to add a separate word for "each other" in Icelandic; the -st ending does all that work for you!
Why is the ending exactly -umst here?
To make the við (we) form of an -st verb, you just take the regular við form and glue -st to the end. The regular form is við þekkjum (we know), so adding -st gives you við þekkjumst. The same rule applies to við hittum, which becomes við hittumst.
Do I really need three words (af því að) just to say "because"?
Yes, when you are joining two full sentences together (like "we know each other" and "we often meet"), you need the full phrase af því að. When speaking at a normal pace, Icelanders blend these words together so it sounds more like "aþþía."
Why does the word for sidewalk end in -inni here?
The basic word for "the sidewalk" is gangstéttin. However, the preposition á (on) triggers the dative case here because it describes a stationary location where an action happens. Since gangstétt is a feminine noun, its definite ending changes to the dative form, which is -inni.
Learn Við þekkjumst af því að við hittumst oft á gangstéttinni and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free