Kennarinn nefnir regluna.

Because Icelandic usually puts the definite article onto the end of the noun.

• kennari = teacher
• kennarinn = the teacher

That final -inn is the masculine singular definite article here. So instead of using a separate word like English the, Icelandic often attaches it to the noun.

For two reasons at once:

1. it is definite: the rule
2. it is in the accusative case, because it is the direct object of the verb

So:

• regla = rule
• reglan = the rule (nominative)
• regluna = the rule (accusative)

In this sentence, regluna is the thing being mentioned, so accusative is used.

The forms help you.

• kennarinn is in the nominative, which is the usual case for the subject
• regluna is in the accusative, which is a common case for a direct object

So even if English relies heavily on word order, Icelandic often makes the roles clearer through case endings.

The dictionary form is nefna.

Nefnir is the present tense, 3rd person singular form:

• ég nefni = I mention
• þú nefnir = you mention
• hann/hún/það nefnir = he/she/it mentions

Here it agrees with kennarinn, which is a singular subject.

Not always. Nefna can mean things like:

• mention
• name
• call
• sometimes refer to

So the exact English translation depends on context. In Kennarinn nefnir regluna, mentions is a very natural translation.

Because Icelandic commonly expresses the by adding an ending to the noun itself.

So:

• kennarinn already means the teacher
• regluna already means the rule in the required case

A separate standalone the is generally not used the way it is in English.

This is the most neutral word order:

• subject + verb + object

So:

• Kennarinn = subject
• nefnir = verb
• regluna = object

Icelandic word order is somewhat flexible, especially because case endings show grammatical roles. But changing the order can affect emphasis, style, or sound more marked. For a learner, this sentence is the standard basic pattern.

Because nouns in Icelandic belong to grammatical genders: masculine, feminine, or neuter.

Kennari is a masculine noun, even though it can refer to a teacher of any biological sex depending on context. Grammatical gender does not always match real-world gender in a simple way.

That masculine gender affects forms like:

• the definite ending
• adjective agreement
• some pronouns referring back to the noun

Regla is a feminine noun, and yes, that matters.

Its gender affects:

• its case endings
• its definite forms
• how adjectives would agree with it

For example:

• regla = rule
• reglan = the rule
• regluna = the rule (accusative)

So the ending -una is part of the feminine singular accusative definite form.

A rough learner-friendly guide is:

• Kennarinn ≈ KHEN-na-rinn
• nefnir ≈ NEV-nir
• regluna ≈ REK-lu-na

A few useful notes:

• kk in kennari is pronounced with a strong k sound
• f in nefnir is often pronounced more like v in this environment
• Icelandic r is usually a rolled or tapped r
• stress usually falls on the first syllable of each word

Exact pronunciation can vary, but that will get you close.

Yes, but it would mean something different in style and grammar.

• Kennarinn nefnir regluna = the teacher mentions the rule
• Kennari nefnir reglu = a teacher mentions a rule

Without the definite endings, the nouns are indefinite. Also, reglu is the accusative singular of regla, so that part is still grammatically correct as an object.

No, not all verbs do that. In Icelandic, different verbs can require different cases for their objects.

Nefna typically takes an accusative object, so:

• nefna reglu = mention a rule
• nefna regluna = mention the rule

This is something learners often have to memorize with the verb, because some Icelandic verbs take dative or genitive instead.