Older Verb Forms (hefi, kvað)
Það er satt, kvað hann. (That is true, he said.) Ég hefi lengi beðið eftir þessu. (I have long waited for this.)
How It Works
hefi and hefir. hafa has an older present tense: ég hefi, þú hefir, hann hefir. Modern Icelandic says hef and hefur. The older forms still appear in formal writing.
kvað: said. kvað is the past of kveða (kveða, kvað, kváðum, kveðið). In old texts and novels it marks speech: Það er satt, kvað hann. The -st form kvaðst means said that he or she, like sagðist: Hann kvaðst vera þreyttur.
ku: is said to. Modern speech keeps a small piece of kvað in the word ku (is said to, reportedly): Hún ku vera flutt til Noregs. It sounds playful or old-fashioned.
mælti: spoke. mæla (speak) often introduces speech in sagas: Þá mælti konungur: „Far þú í friði.“ Notice the old imperative far þú, where modern Icelandic says farðu.
More older forms.
- gjöra for gera (do)
- mundi beside myndi (would): both forms are standard today
- eg for ég (I)
- vér for við (we), see vér
Watch out. kveða (say) is a different verb from kveðja (say goodbye): kvað means said, kvaddi means said goodbye.
Examples (5)
- Það er satt, kvað hann.
That is true, he said.
Word by Word: It is true, said he.
- Ég hefi lengi beðið eftir þessu.
I have long waited for this.
Word by Word: I have long waited after this.
hefi is the older form of hef.
- Hann kvaðst vera þreyttur.
He said he was tired.
Word by Word: He said-himself be tired.
- Þá mælti konungur: „Far þú í friði.“
Then the king spoke: "Go in peace."
Word by Word: Then spoke king: "Go you in peace."
- Hún ku vera flutt til Noregs.
She is said to have moved to Norway.
Word by Word: She reportedly be moved to Norway.
Common Mistakes
Using kvaddi (said goodbye) for kvað (said).
Það er satt, kvaddi hann.Það er satt, kvað hann.kvað comes from kveða (say). kvaddi comes from kveðja (say goodbye).
Using hefi with a third-person subject.
Hann hefi komið.Hann hefir komið.hefi is only for ég. With hann, the older form is hefir, and the modern form is hefur.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Older verb forms build on registers.
Related Patterns
- hafaTo Have (Hafa)
hefi and hefir are older present forms of hafa.
Level 1 - segjast / þykjastSaying or Pretending About Oneself (Hún Sagðist Vera Veik)
kvaðst works like sagðist: he said that he …
Level 5 - Commands (komdu, farðu)
Old commands like far þú match modern farðu.
Level 2 - myndiWould (Myndi)
mundi and myndi are both standard forms of would.
Level 3 - Formal vér
Another older form that survives in formal language.
Level 6 - Reading the Sagas
kvað and mælti introduce speech throughout the sagas.
Level 6
Words in This Pattern
Practice Older Verb Forms (hefi, kvað) in Bubblegum
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