mega

May (Mega)

Level 1

mega means may or be allowed to: Má ég koma inn? (May I come in?).

How It Works

The forms. mega is one of the preterite-present verbs, so its singular is short:

  • ég má
  • þú mátt
  • hann / hún / það má
  • við megum
  • þið megið
  • þeir / þær / þau mega

In a question þú joins it as máttu (joined forms).

No að. Like vilja, mega takes the next verb directly: Má ég fara?, not Má ég að fara?

Asking and giving permission.

  • Má ég koma inn? (May I come in?)
  • Þú mátt fá þér köku (You can have some cake.)
  • Má bjóða þér kaffi? (May I offer you coffee?) This fixed phrase has no subject.

Rules and signs. má with no person describes what is allowed in general: Hér má ekki reykja (Smoking is not allowed here).

Must not versus don't have to. mega ekki forbids something: Þú mátt ekki segja neinum (You must not tell anyone). If you mean that something is not necessary, use þurfa að: Þú þarft ekki að koma (You don't have to come).

For shops and cafés, see má ég fá. The past tense is mátti (modal verbs past), and mætti ég ...? is an extra-polite request (gætirðu/mætti ég).

Examples (6)

  1. Má ég koma inn?

    May I come in?

    Word by Word: May I come in?

  2. Þú mátt fá þér köku.

    You can have some cake.

    Word by Word: You may get yourself cake.

  3. Hér má ekki reykja.

    Smoking is not allowed here.

    Word by Word: Here may not smoke.

    With no person, má states a general rule.

  4. Við megum fara snemma í dag.

    We're allowed to leave early today.

    Word by Word: We may go early today.

  5. Börnin mega ekki fara ein út.

    The children must not go out alone.

    Word by Word: The-children may not go alone out.

  6. Má bjóða þér kaffi?

    May I offer you some coffee?

    Word by Word: May offer you coffee?

    A polite fixed phrase for offering something.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting að after mega.

    Má ég að koma inn?
    Má ég koma inn?

    mega takes the next verb directly, with no að.

  • Using má, the form for ég and hún, with þú.

    Þú má fara.
    Þú mátt fara.

    With þú the form is mátt.

  • Using mega ekki to mean "don't have to". Here the speaker wants to say that coming is not necessary.

    Þú mátt ekki koma.
    Þú þarft ekki að koma.

    Þú mátt ekki koma means "You must not come". To say something is not necessary, use þurfa ekki að.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

megaLevel 1May (Mega)

Learn This First

mega builds on vilja.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

megamámá ég