vera
[ˈvɛːra]
To stay in Icelandic is vera.
The verb vera is used to mean staying in a particular place or remaining in a certain state. It is a versatile verb that covers both the English concepts of 'to be' and 'to stay'.
Meaning: to remain in a particular place (verb)
Which one should you use?
In Icelandic, vera serves both purposes, whether you are describing an identity or the act of remaining in a location or state.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that one must stay or must be, you combine the verb verða að (must) with vera. For example, verður að vera means 'must stay' or 'must be'.
Did you know?
- The Icelandic verb for 'staying' is used to form the passive voice. By using vera with a past participle, the language describes a state of being that is ongoing.
- In Icelandic, the phrase vera í (literally 'to be in') is used to describe staying at a hotel or a guest house, rather than using a specific verb for 'lodging'.
- Icelandic uses the verb vera to express the English 'to be' and 'to stay'. In many other European languages these are distinct verbs with different roots.
Examples in context
- Reyndu að vera vakandi.Try to stay awake.This example shows how to use vera to express the act of staying awake.Tatoeba #4022186 by Bergthor, translation #3946609 by CK
- Þau ætla ekki ekki að vera um kyrrt.They won't stay.This example demonstrates the use of vera in the context of not staying still.Tatoeba #3795653 by arnarsmata, translation #3737214 by CK
- Það er erfitt að vera rólegur í svona stöðu.It's hard to stay calm in a situation like that.This sentence illustrates how vera is used when describing the state of staying calm.Tatoeba #10609697 by nipbud, translation #10451069 by CK
- Dveldu sæll/sæl.Stay well.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sigríður and Jón are deciding on plans for the weekend.
- SigríðurViltu vera hérna í kvöld?Do you want to stay here tonight?
- JónJá, ég ætla að vera hérna.Yes, I intend to stay here.
- SigríðurGaman að þú getir verið lengur.It is nice that you can stay longer.
- JónÉg vil helst vera hjá þér.I would prefer to stay with you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry vera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
