búa
Saying Where You Live (Búa)
Búa means to live in a place: Ég bý í Reykjavík (I live in Reykjavík).
How It Works
Búa means to live in the sense of having your home somewhere.
- ég bý
- þú býrð
- hann, hún, hán, það býr
- við búum
- þið búið
- þeir, þær, þau búa
The ú becomes ý in the singular, the same kind of vowel change you see in present tense with a vowel change. The question uses the joined form býrðu (býrð þú): Hvar býrðu?
Where. After búa, use í or á with the dative. Each place has its own word, so learn it with the name: í Reykjavík, í Danmörku, but á Íslandi, á Akureyri. See á Íslandi and í Reykjavík. Búa hjá means to live with someone: Ég bý hjá foreldrum mínum.
Búa or lifa? English live has two meanings. Búa is where your home is. Lifa means to be alive or to live a certain kind of life. So for your address or town, always use búa.
Examples (5)
- Ég bý í Reykjavík.
I live in Reykjavík.
Word by Word: I live in Reykjavík.
- Hvar býrðu?
Where do you live?
Word by Word: Where live-you?
Býrðu is býrð þú joined together.
- Við búum á Akureyri.
We live in Akureyri.
Word by Word: We live on Akureyri.
Akureyri takes á, not í.
- Hún býr á Íslandi en fjölskyldan hennar býr í Danmörku.
She lives in Iceland, but her family lives in Denmark.
Word by Word: She lives on Iceland but the-family her lives in Denmark.
- Ég bý hjá foreldrum mínum.
I live with my parents.
Word by Word: I live at parents my.
Common Mistakes
Using the infinitive instead of the ég form.
Ég búa í Reykjavík.Ég bý í Reykjavík.The ég form of búa is bý. Búa is only for the infinitive and for þau, þeir and þær.
Using lifa for where you live.
Ég lifi í Reykjavík.Ég bý í Reykjavík.Lifa means to be alive or live a kind of life. For the place where your home is, use búa.
How It Connects
Learn This First
búa builds on hvar and í.
Related Patterns
- á Íslandi / í ReykjavíkIn or on with Place Names
Each place name takes either í or á after búa.
Level 2 - koma fráSaying Where You Are from
Koma frá tells where you are from, while búa tells where you live now.
Level 1 - Present Tense With a Vowel Change
Búa has the same kind of vowel change in the singular as fara and koma.
Level 1 - ertu / viltu / talarðuJoined Forms (Ertu, Viltu, Talarðu)
Býrðu is býrð þú joined together.
Level 1 - hjáAt Someone's Place (Hjá)
Búa hjá means to live with someone, at their place.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice búa in Bubblegum
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