Present Tense: i-Verbs (læra)
I-verbs like læra (learn) end in -i or -ir in the singular: ég læri, þú lærir, hún lærir.
How It Works
læra (to learn):
- ég læri
- þú lærir
- hann, hún, hán, það lærir
- við lærum
- þið lærið
- þeir, þær, þau læra
Other common verbs work the same way: gera → ég geri (do), heyra → ég heyri (hear), keyra → ég keyri (drive), kenna → ég kenni (teach), kaupa → ég kaupi (buy), hitta → ég hitti (meet).
Verbs with j. Some i-verbs have j before the -a: segja (say), hringja (call), þekkja (know someone). The j stays before a and u, but it drops before i:
- ég segi, þú segir, hún segir
- við segjum, þið segið, þau segja
Which group? The infinitive does not tell you whether a verb is an a-verb or an i-verb: tala and læra look alike. The past tense does: a-verbs have -aði (talaði), and i-verbs have -ði, -di or -ti (lærði, kenndi, keypti). See past tense in -ði, -di and -ti. Learn the group together with the verb.
Examples (6)
- Ég læri íslensku á kvöldin.
I study Icelandic in the evenings.
Word by Word: I learn Icelandic on the-evenings.
- Hvað segirðu?
How are you?
Word by Word: What say-you?
- Hún keyrir í vinnuna.
She drives to work.
Word by Word: She drives into the-work.
- Við hringjum í þig á morgun.
We'll call you tomorrow.
Word by Word: We ring into you tomorrow.
Hringja keeps its j before -um.
- Hvað gerirðu?
What do you do?
Word by Word: What do-you?
- Þau heyra ekkert.
They don't hear anything.
Word by Word: They hear nothing.
Common Mistakes
Using the þú ending for ég.
Ég lærir íslensku.Ég læri íslensku.The ég form of an i-verb ends in -i without -r.
Giving an i-verb the a-verb ending.
Hann lærar íslensku.Hann lærir íslensku.Læra is an i-verb, so hann takes -ir, not -ar.
Dropping the j before -um.
Við segum það ekki.Við segjum það ekki.The j of segja stays before a and u: segjum, segja. It drops only before i: segi, segir.
How It Connects
Learn This First
i-verbs come after a-verbs.
Related Patterns
- Present Tense With a Vowel Change
Strong verbs like fara change their vowel in the singular.
Level 1 - Past Tense in -ði, -di and -ti
The past tense of i-verbs ends in -ði, -di or -ti: lærði, kenndi.
Level 2 - Groups of Regular Verbs
This group sits beside a-verbs and verbs like telja among the regular verbs.
Level 3 - hvað segirðuHow Are You? (Hvað Segirðu)
Hvað segirðu? uses segja, an i-verb, with þú joined on.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice Present Tense: i-Verbs (læra) in Bubblegum
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