The Verb Comes Second
The verb holds second place: Ég fer heim í dag. → Í dag fer ég heim. (Today I am going home.)
How It Works
Count the parts, not the words
The first part can be one word or a whole phrase. Í dag and Á morgun are one part each, so the verb comes right after them:
- Ég fer heim í dag. Subject first.
- Í dag fer ég heim. Time first, subject after the verb.
- Hér býr Anna. Place first. (Anna lives here.)
Question words count as the first part
Hvar býrðu? Hvað heitir þú? The verb comes straight after the question word. A yes/no question puts the verb first instead: Ertu heima? See Yes/No Questions.
Joining words do not count
og (and), en (but) and eða (or) stand outside the count: En í dag fer ég heim.
Which verb is second?
Only the finite verb, the one that changes with the person, is second. Other verbs wait at the end of their group: Í dag ætla ég að læra. (Today I am going to study.) ekki comes after the finite verb, and after the subject when the subject follows the verb: Í dag fer ég ekki heim. See Not (ekki).
Time words like Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow often come first, so you will use this pattern all the time.
Examples (6)
- Ég fer heim í dag.
I am going home today.
Word by Word: I go home in day.
- Í dag fer ég heim.
Today I am going home.
Word by Word: In day go I home.
í dag comes first, so ég moves after the verb fer.
- Á morgun förum við í sund.
Tomorrow we are going swimming.
Word by Word: On morning go we in swimming.
- Í gær fór ég í bíó.
Yesterday I went to the movies.
Word by Word: In yesterday went I in cinema.
- Hér býr Anna.
Anna lives here.
Word by Word: Here lives Anna.
Starting with hér puts weight on the place, and the verb still comes second.
- Hvar býrðu?
Where do you live?
Word by Word: Where live-you?
býrðu is býrð þú joined together, right after the question word.
Common Mistakes
Keeping the subject before the verb after a time word.
Í dag ég fer heim.Í dag fer ég heim.Only one part can come before the verb. After í dag, the verb fer comes next and then ég.
Putting a word like alltaf (always) or oft (often) between the subject and the verb, as in English.
Ég alltaf drekk kaffi á morgnana.Ég drekk alltaf kaffi á morgnana.The verb must be the second part, so nothing can stand between ég and drekk. When the sentence starts with the subject, words like alltaf, oft and ekki come right after the verb.
Using English question word order.
Hvar þú býrð?Hvar býrðu?After a question word the verb comes next: Hvar býrð þú, usually joined as býrðu.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Word order is shown with simple sentences with vera.
Related Patterns
- Yes/No Questions
Yes/no questions put the verb first instead of second.
Level 1 - ertu / viltu / talarðuJoined Forms (Ertu, Viltu, Talarðu)
When þú comes right after the verb, the two often join: býrðu, ertu.
Level 1 - ekkiNot (Ekki)
ekki follows the verb in second place, or the subject when it comes after that verb.
Level 1 - í gær / í dag / á morgunYesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Time words often open the sentence and push the subject after the verb.
Level 2 - Verb Before Negation in Subordinate Clauses: ekkiThe Verb Before Ekki in Subordinate Clauses
After að, sem and ef the subject comes first, but the verb still comes before ekki: að hann kemur ekki.
Level 2 - Fronting for Emphasis
Putting an object first for emphasis also keeps the verb second.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice The Verb Comes Second in Bubblegum
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