SagnirA1

Hafa (to have) — Present Tense

The verb 'to have' (hafa) in present tense — hef, hefur, höfum, hafið, hafa

Learning Goal

Can conjugate hafa (to have) in present tense and use it for possession

Exam Skills:VISC-A1

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Ég hef hund.

I have a dog.

Við höfum stórt hús.

We have a big house.

Þau hafa þrjú börn.

They have three children.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Sagnorðið hafa (to have) er annað mikilvægt sagnorð. Nútíðarmyndir:

PersónaEintalaFleirtala
1. p.ég hefvið höfum
2. p.þú hefurþið hafið
3. p.hann/hún/það hefurþeir/þær/þau hafa

Notkun:

  • Eign: Ég hef bíl. (I have a car.)
  • Skyldleiki: Hún hefur tvo bræður. (She has two brothers.)
  • Hjálparsögn: Ég hef lesið bókina. (I have read the book.)

Athugið: 2. og 3. persóna eintölu deila sömu mynd: hefur. Stofnsérhljóðið breytist: haf-hef-höf- (u-umlaut í 1. p. ft.).

Confusing hef (1sg) with hefur (2sg/3sg) and hafa (3pl). The vowel changes (a→e→ö) follow umlaut rules. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English 'have/has' is simpler — only 2 forms. Four Icelandic forms + umlaut vowel changes are harder.

Ég hef hund.

I have a dog.

Hef = have (1sg). Hund = dog (accusative).

Við höfum stórt hús.

We have a big house.

Höfum = have (1st pl.) — ö from u-umlaut. Stórt agrees with neuter hús.

Þau hafa þrjú börn.

They have three children.

Hafa = have (3rd pl.). Börn = children (plural of barn).

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course
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