heim / heima
Home (Heim, Heima)
heim = going home. heima = at home. að heiman = from home. Ég fer heim. Ég er heima.
How It Works
Three words for home.
- heim (to home): Ég fer heim. (I am going home.) Komdu heim! (Come home!)
- heima (at home): Ég er heima. (I am at home.) Ertu heima? (Are you home?)
- að heiman (from home): Hún fór að heiman klukkan átta. (She left home at eight.)
No preposition needed. English says at home, but heima already means that. Do not put í or til in front of heim or heima.
Someone's place. Add hjá + dative for being at someone's home, and til + genitive for going there:
- Við vorum heima hjá Önnu. (We were at Anna's place.)
- Komdu heim til mín. (Come over to my place.)
Where you live. Hvar áttu heima? means Where do you live? (literally "Where do you have home?"). It is a common alternative to búa.
The noun for a home is heimili: Heimilið mitt er lítið. (My home is small.)
Examples (6)
- Ég fer heim.
I am going home.
Word by Word: I go home.
- Ertu heima?
Are you home?
Word by Word: Are-you at-home?
- Hvar áttu heima?
Where do you live?
Word by Word: Where own-you at-home?
áttu is átt þú, from eiga. eiga heima means to live somewhere.
- Hún fór að heiman klukkan átta.
She left home at eight.
Word by Word: She went from home clock eight.
- Komdu heim til mín í kvöld.
Come over to my place tonight.
Word by Word: Come-you home to me in evening.
- Við vorum heima hjá Önnu.
We were at Anna's place.
Word by Word: We were at-home at Anna.
Common Mistakes
Using heima with a verb of movement.
Ég fer heima.Ég fer heim.fara shows movement, so use heim. heima is only for being at home.
Using heim for being at home.
Ég er heim.Ég er heima.vera shows no movement, so use heima.
Translating "from home" word for word.
Hún fór frá heima.Hún fór að heiman.From home has its own form: að heiman.
How It Connects
Learn This First
heim and heima build on where-questions.
Related Patterns
- Where At, Where To and Where From
Other place words with the same three forms, such as inni, inn and innan.
Level 2 - hér / þarHere and There (Hér, Þar)
Other place words that do not need a preposition.
Level 1 - Movement or Location With í and á
The same difference between movement and location, shown with case.
Level 2 - hjáAt Someone's Place (Hjá)
heima hjá means at someone's home.
Level 2 - búaSaying Where You Live (Búa)
Another way to say where you live.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice heim / heima in Bubblegum
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