Regular verb conjugation in present tense — weak verb classes with -a, -i, -ur endings
Can conjugate regular (weak) verbs in present tense across all three verb classes
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Ég tala íslensku.
I speak Icelandic.
Við borðum fisk.
We eat fish.
Hún skrifar bréf.
She writes a letter.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Íslensk sagnorð skiptast í veik (regular) og sterk (irregular). Veik sagnorð hafa þrjá flokka:
| Persóna | Flokkur 1: tala (speak) | Flokkur 2: reyna (try) | Flokkur 3: lifa (live) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ég | tala | reyni | lifi |
| þú | talar | reynir | lifir |
| hann/hún/það | talar | reynir | lifir |
| við | tölum | reynum | lifum |
| þið | talið | reynið | lifið |
| þeir/þær/þau | tala | reyna | lifa |
Algeng veik sagnorð: tala (speak), borða (eat), lesa (read), skrifa (write), vinna (work), búa (live/reside), spila (play).
Athugið: 1. p. ft. hefur oft u-umlaut: tala → tölum, fara → förum.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesÉg tala íslensku.
I speak Icelandic.
Tala = speak (1st sg, class 1). Íslensku = Icelandic (accusative of íslenska).
Við borðum fisk.
We eat fish.
Borðum = eat (1st pl.) — note no umlaut here (borða class 1). Fisk = fish (accusative).
Hún skrifar bréf.
She writes a letter.
Skrifar = writes (3rd sg, class 1). Bréf = letter (neuter accusative = nominative).
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises