á sumrin / á kvöldin

Regular Times (Á Sumrin)

Level 3

Ég les á kvöldin means I read in the evenings, as a habit. á + a plural with the article gives a regular time.

How It Works

The forms. Each phrase is á + the noun in the accusative plural with the attached article:

  • sumar → á sumrin (in summer)
  • vetur → á veturna (in winter)
  • vor → á vorin (in spring)
  • haust → á haustin (in autumn)
  • morgunn → á morgnana (in the mornings)
  • kvöld → á kvöldin (in the evenings)
  • nótt → á næturnar (at night)

Some stems change: sumar becomes sumr-, morgunn becomes morgn- and nótt becomes nætur-. It is easiest to learn these phrases as whole chunks. For the daytime, the singular is used: á daginn (during the day).

Regular or just once? These phrases describe habits, so they often go with the present tense or with frequency words. For a single time, Icelandic uses other phrases (see í gær, í dag, á morgun):

  • Ég syndi á sumrin (I swim in summer, every year), but Ég ætla að synda í sumar (I am going to swim this summer).
  • Ég vinn á kvöldin (I work in the evenings), but Ég vinn í kvöld (I am working tonight).
  • Ég drekk kaffi á morgnana (I drink coffee in the mornings), but Ég drakk kaffi í morgun (I drank coffee this morning).

Days and weekends. Days of the week use a different pattern for habits: á + the dative plural without the article, á mánudögum (on Mondays) (see days of the week). For weekends, say um helgar. To stress every single time, use hver: á hverju kvöldi (every evening), á hverju sumri (every summer).

Examples (6)

  1. Á sumrin er bjart nánast allan sólarhringinn.

    In summer it is light almost around the clock.

    Word by Word: In the summers is bright almost all the day-and-night.

    The phrase á sumrin comes first, so the verb er comes next.

  2. Það er oft dimmt og kalt á veturna.

    It is often dark and cold in winter.

  3. Ég drekk kaffi á morgnana.

    I drink coffee in the mornings.

  4. Hvað gerir þú á kvöldin?

    What do you do in the evenings?

  5. Hún vinnur á daginn og lærir á kvöldin.

    She works during the day and studies in the evenings.

  6. Á haustin fara krakkarnir aftur í skólann.

    In autumn the kids go back to school.

    Word by Word: In the autumns go the kids back to the school.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the attached article.

    Ég les á kvöld.
    Ég les á kvöldin.

    A regular time needs the plural with the attached article: á kvöldin, á morgnana, á sumrin.

  • Using í kvöld (tonight) when you mean in the evenings as a habit.

    Ég vinn í kvöld.
    Ég vinn á kvöldin.

    Ég vinn í kvöld is a correct sentence, but it means I am working tonight, just this once. For a regular habit, say á kvöldin.

How It Connects

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

á sumrin / á kvöldinLevel 3Regular Times (Á Sumrin)

Learn This First

Regular times build on days.

Words in This Pattern

á