Present Tense With a Vowel Change

Level 1

Many common verbs change their vowel in the singular: fara → ég fer, koma → ég kem. The plural goes back: við förum, við komum.

How It Works

Many of the most common verbs are strong verbs. In the present tense, their singular has a different vowel from the infinitive.

taka (to take): ég tek, þú tekur, hún tekur, við tökum, þið takið, þau taka

koma (to come): ég kem, þú kemur, hún kemur, við komum, þið komið, þau koma

The vowel changes.

  • a → e: fara → ég fer, taka → ég tek, halda → ég held, ganga → ég geng
  • o → e: koma → ég kem, sofa → ég sef
  • á → æ: fá → ég fæ
  • ú → ý: búa → ég bý
  • au → ey: hlaupa → ég hleyp

Verbs with e or i in the stem keep it: gefa → ég gef, drekka → ég drekk, sitja → ég sit. They still use the same endings.

The endings. The ég form is just the changed stem. Þú and hún usually add -ur: þú tekur, hún tekur. When the stem ends in r or a vowel, þú ends in -ð and hún in -r: þú ferð, hún fer; þú sérð, hún sér; þú færð, hún fær. Sjá has its own vowel change, já to é: ég sé.

The plural goes back. The plural uses the vowel of the infinitive and the endings -um, -ið, -a. An a becomes ö before -um: við förum, við tökum, við göngum. See u-umlaut.

Examples (6)

  1. Ég fer heim.

    I'm going home.

    Word by Word: I go home.

  2. Hvenær kemurðu?

    When are you coming?

    Word by Word: When come-you?

    Kemurðu is kemur þú joined together.

  3. Hún tekur strætó í skólann.

    She takes the bus to school.

    Word by Word: She takes bus into the-school.

  4. Við förum í bíó í kvöld.

    We're going to the cinema tonight.

    Word by Word: We go into cinema in evening.

    Fara becomes förum: back to a, then a → ö before -um.

  5. Sérðu fjallið?

    Do you see the mountain?

    Word by Word: See-you the-mountain?

  6. Ég fæ mér kaffi.

    I'll have a coffee.

    Word by Word: I get me coffee.

    Fá sér means to have something to eat or drink.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the infinitive instead of the ég form.

    Ég fara heim.
    Ég fer heim.

    The singular of fara has e: ég fer, þú ferð, hún fer.

  • Keeping the singular vowel in the plural.

    Við ferum heim.
    Við förum heim.

    The plural goes back to the infinitive vowel a, and a becomes ö before -um.

  • Leaving the ending off the þú form.

    Þú tek strætó.
    Þú tekur strætó.

    Only the ég form is the bare stem. Þú and hún add -ur: þú tekur.

How It Connects

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

Present Tense With a Vowel ChangeLevel 1

Learn This First

Strong verbs come after the two regular groups.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-um-ur