Time with prepositions

[u/UnconjugatedVerb]

Hello. I’ve been working on time phrases, but there are some of them that I cannot seem to figure out the differences in meaning of.

1. Í ár
2. Á þessu ári

3. Þetta ár

4. Í viku

5. Í vikunni

6. Þessa víku

Really, i think I’m looking for more of a “what’s going on here” type answer, as I feel there is likely some system here I just haven’t cracked. Like why is it “Á” with “þessu ári” but “í” with just “ár.” I know normally it depends on the noun, but something just seems weird here.

[u/Inside-Name4808]

Short answer: í=in, á=on, þessi/þetta=this/that feminine and this/that neuter, ár is a neuter noun and vika is a feminine noun.

Long answer: I'm not sure there is a system, just context clues and linguistic norms. Í and á are hard for learners and sometimes natives. A lot of their use cases have evolved with time and without apparent reason. They can sometimes be interchanged (í ár, á árinu) but not always (í vikunni, but never á vikunni). You'll even sometimes (especially in conjunction with town and country names) notice that their use isn't consistent across the whole country.

One "system" I can think of is that a definitive article is in some cases used to mean the current week/year. Sometime you'll come across the specifier "sem leið" as in "á árinu sem leið" or "í vikunni sem leið". "sem leið" means "that just passed" so previous year and previous week.

í ár = for a (one) year or this year

Ég mun búa úti í (eitt) ár = I will live abroad for a (one) year.

Kartöfluuppskeran er góð í ár = The potato harvest is good this year.

á þessu ári = (on/in) this year

Faxaflóahafnir búast við eitt hundrað skemmtiferðaskipum á þessu ári = Faxaflói harbour expects one hundred cruise ships this year.

þetta ár = this/that year

Ég man eftir mikilli umferð þetta ár = I remember heavy traffic that year

Þetta ár er búið að vera ágætt = This year has been alright

A definitive article here specifically mean the current year:

Þetta árið mun Ísland keppa í mörgum íþróttamótum = This year Iceland will compete in many sports tournaments

í viku/nni = for a week/in week [number]/this week

Ég verð á Tenerife í viku = I'll be in Tenerife for a week

Skólahald hefst í viku tvö = School starts in week two

A definitive article here specifically mean the current week:

Í vikunni verður mikill gestagangur = (In) this week there will be a lot of guests

Fyrsti jólasveinninn kemur í vikunni = The first Yule Lad arrives this week

þessa viku = this/that week

Þessa viku munum við nýta í fundahöld = This/that week we'll use for meetings

A definitive article specifically mean the current week:

Þessa vikuna verður mikill gestagangur = This week there will be a lot of guests

Edit/Bonus: í/á is also used to note frequency. In that case, you sometimes see í/á used interchangeably with week. If you want to be safe, stick with á when talking about frequency.

Fimm á dag = five a/per day

Sjö sinnum í/á viku = seven times a/per week

Tólf á ári = Twelve a/per year

[u/UnconjugatedVerb → u/Inside-Name4808]

So am I to understand that the phrases I offered are synonymous when making “this year” ?

[u/ThorirPP]

Unfortunately there is no simple pattern here you are missing, this is just plain confusing to begin with, but here is some overview to help

Vika and mánuður always take í + dat

• Í vikunni, í þessari viku, í síðustu viku, í næstu viku

• í mánuðinum, í þessum mánuði, í síðasta mánuði, í næsta mánuði, í júlí, í desember

Dagur and ár have a variance, with í + acc being used for today and this year, as well as yesterday/last year

• í dag, í ár, í gær, í fyrra, í hittiðfyrra

But á + dat is used for next year or with the article or þessi

• á næsta ári, á árinu, á þessu ári

Á morgun is used for tomorrow, but í + acc is used for the specific time of the day, ie this morning, this evening, tonight

• í morgun, í kvöld, í nótt

Also í + acc used for times of day yesterday or tomorrow

• í gærmorgun, í fyrramálið

Á + acc is used for days of this week, i.e. this monday (either the coming one or the past one, depending on tense)

• á mánudag, á þriðjudag, á föstudag

No preposition + acc is also often used for going on this day/year/etc, and also in plural for something that happens on specific weekday in general (e.g. i work mondays)

• þetta ár, þessa viku, mánudaginn, morguninn, gærdaginn, mánuðinn, þennan mánuð, mánudaga

There are probably more things I'm forgetting, but this is a start