Modal Auxilary Verbs
Modal Auxiliary Verbs (háttarsagnir)
https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A1ttars%C3%B6gn
https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%BA%C3%BE%C3%A1leg_s%C3%B6gn
You may also know these verbs as "helping verbs" because that's exactly what they do, help to convey the idea expressed by another verb.
There are several modal auxiliaries in Icelandic, here presented with their definitions and a rough English equivalent:
mega | Permission | to be allowed to, may |
vilja | intention, desire | to want to |
Eiga (að) | duty, expectancy | to have to, shall |
Verða (að) | necessity, compulsion | to have to, must |
Geta | Possibility | to possibly do, might |
Skulu | Duty, expectancy | should |
Munu | Future event | will |
Kunna (að) | Ability | to be able to, can |
Hljóta (að) | Likelihood | Should, must |
Þurfa (að) | need | |
Ætla (að) | Intention with certainty | Intend to |
These auxiliaries are almost always followed by infinitives. Some of the infinitives take að.
Við verðum að læra það.
We have to learn it.
Ég get ekki skilið þessa bók.
I can't understand this book.
Þú mátt fara heim núna
You may go home now
Ég þarf að borga skuldina
I have to pay the debt
Ég vil lesa þessa bók
I want to read this book
Ég kann að lesa sænsku
I know how to read Swedish
Vilja, þrá, kunna can also be used without another verb at all
Ég vil köku
I want cake
Ég kann ensku
I know English
But what distinguishes modal-auxilary verbs (háttarsagnir) is how the case of the subject is not determined by them, but by the other verb.
Remeber the cases of the pronoun I: Ég (nf), um mig (þf), frá mér (þgf), til mín (ef)
Ég fer (nf of Ég brought by the verb fara)
I go
Ég þarf að fara (nf of Ég brought by the verb fara)
I need to go
Mér leiðist (þgf of Ég brought by the ver leiðast)
I'm (boring myself) bored
Mér þarf ekki að leiðast (þgf of Ég brought my leiðast)
I don't have to (bore myself) be bored
Mig vantar ost (þf of Ég brought by verb vanta)
I lack cheese
Mig þarf ekki að vanta ost (þf og Ég brought by verb vanta)
I don't need to lack cheese
Ég sæki þig (nf of Ég brought by the verb sækja)
I (will) fetch you
Ég ætla að sækja þig (nf of Ég brought by the verb sækja)
I intend to fetch you
Mér tekst þetta (þgf of Ég brought by the verb takast)
I succeed at this
Mér ætlar ekki að takast þetta (þgf of Ég brought by the verb takast)
Direct translation: I am not intending to succeed at this
Proper translation: I am not meant to succeed at this (despite trying)
Ég hlýt að vera veikur (nf of Ég brought by the verb vera)
I must (by probability) be sick
Mér hlýtur að takast þetta (þgf of Ég brought by the verb takast)
I must (by probability) succeed at this
There are many verbs in Icelandic, that also help convey the idea expressed by another verb and are followed by infinitives, but are not háttarsagnir, because the case of the subject is not determined by the other verb. The verb þrá, which means to yearn for, is a verb like that.
Note the difference when we use the verb hljóta, which is a háttarsögn and the verb þrá (yearn for), which is not a háttarsögn
Mér tekst þetta (þgf of Ég brought by the verb takast)
Mér hlýtur að takast þetta (þgf of Ég brought by the verb takast)
Ég þrái að takast þetta (nf of Ég brought by the verb þrá)
Likewise, the word langa (same word as long to, but now means want to) works like the verb þrá
Mig langar að takast þetta
Mig langar að fara heim
Using mér with langar is something many Icelanders do, but it is grammatically wrong. It's called þágufallssýki (Dative sickness), since langar is supposed to bring þolfall (accusative).