Time & Frequency Adverbs
Time and frequency adverbs: alltaf, oft, stundum, sjaldan, aldrei, núna, í dag, á morgun
Can use common time and frequency adverbs with correct placement
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Ég fer alltaf í sund á mánudögum.
I always go swimming on Mondays.
Í dag er fallegt veður.
Today is beautiful weather.
Hún kemur sjaldan of seint.
She rarely comes too late.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Íslensk tíma- og tíðniatviksorð:
| Tíðni | Atviksorð | Merking |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | alltaf | always |
| 90% | næstum alltaf | almost always |
| 75% | oft | often |
| 50% | stundum | sometimes |
| 25% | sjaldan | rarely |
| 0% | aldrei | never |
| Tími | Merking |
|---|---|
| núna | now |
| í dag | today |
| í gær | yesterday |
| á morgun | tomorrow |
| í kvöld | tonight |
| í morgun | this morning |
| alltaf | always |
Staðsetning: Atviksorð koma yfirleitt á eftir sagnorðinu: Ég fer oft í sund. Þegar þau standa á fyrsta sæti, gildir V2: Oft fer ég í sund.
Ég fer alltaf í sund á mánudögum.
I always go swimming on Mondays.
Alltaf after verb. Mánudögum = Mondays (dative plural).
Í dag er fallegt veður.
Today is beautiful weather.
Í dag (today) in first position triggers V2.
Hún kemur sjaldan of seint.
She rarely comes too late.
Sjaldan = rarely, after verb.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Put it into practice
Try a free exercise from the courseFrequently asked questions
- When is Tíðni- og tímaatviksiorð used?
- Staðsetning: Atviksorð koma yfirleitt á eftir sagnorðinu : Ég fer oft í sund. Þegar þau standa á fyrsta sæti , gildir V2: Oft fer ég í sund.
- What are common mistakes with Tíðni- og tímaatviksiorð?
- Confusing á morgun (tomorrow) with í morgun (this morning). Placing adverbs before the verb when not in first position. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English adverb placement is flexible but different — 'I often go' vs Icelandic 'Ég fer oft'. Post-verbal preferred. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian adverb placement is flexible — must adapt to Icelandic post-verbal position or V2 when fronted. 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Similar flexibility in Czech — must learn Icelandic's more rigid rules. 🇩🇪 German speakers: German time adverb placement and V2 inversion are identical — excellent transfer!