Hann bindur reipið.

• Hann is a subject pronoun.
• bindur is the verb, in the present tense, 3rd person singular.
• reipið is the direct object, the thing being tied.

So the structure is the very common subject + verb + object pattern.

Binda is the dictionary form (the infinitive), equivalent to to bind / to tie.

Bindur is the form used with he/she/it in the present tense. So:

• að binda = to tie
• hann bindur = he ties / he is tying depending on context

Icelandic verbs usually change form depending on tense and person.

Not completely. Binda is a strong verb, which means some of its forms change their vowel instead of just adding a regular ending.

Important forms include:

• að binda = infinitive
• bindur = present, he/she/it ties
• batt = past, tied
• bundið = past participle

So it is a verb worth memorizing as a small pattern, not just as one isolated form.

That -ið is the definite article attached to the noun.

• reipi = rope / a rope
• reipið = the rope

In Icelandic, the is usually not a separate word placed before the noun. Instead, it is added to the end of the noun.

It is the accusative, because it is the direct object of the verb bindur.

The rope is the thing receiving the action, so Icelandic puts it in the object case.

A useful detail: reipi is a neuter noun, and in the singular the nominative and accusative forms are often the same. So even though reipið is accusative here, it looks the same as nominative reipið.

You mostly learn noun gender as part of the word.

For this noun, the form reipið helps show that it is neuter singular definite. The definite ending -ið is a very common neuter singular ending in forms like this.

Still, you should not rely only on endings every time. In Icelandic, it is best to learn nouns together with:

• their gender
• and ideally a full phrase or form, such as reipi / reipið

Because Icelandic usually uses a suffixed definite article.

Instead of:

• the rope

Icelandic normally says:

• reipið

So the idea of the is built into the noun itself. This is one of the first big differences English speakers notice.

Yes, but Hann bindur reipið is the most neutral, everyday order.

Icelandic allows more flexibility than English, especially for emphasis or style. For example, you might move another element to the front. But in main clauses, Icelandic usually keeps the finite verb in second position.

So:

• Hann bindur reipið = neutral
• Núna bindur hann reipið = Now he ties/is tying the rope

If you move the object to the front, that creates emphasis and sounds more marked:

• Reipið bindur hann

That is grammatical, but it is not the plain default order.

A rough guide for an English speaker:

• Hann sounds roughly like hahn
• bindur starts with a short bi- like in bit, and the u is not like English oo; it is a rounded Icelandic vowel
• reipið begins with rei-, which sounds roughly like ray, and the final ð is like a soft th, though word-final ð can sound lighter than English speakers expect

Also remember:

• Icelandic usually stresses the first syllable of each word
• the letter ð is never silent in the same way English spelling sometimes is, though at the end of a word it may sound quite light

Usually, no. Icelandic normally keeps subject pronouns.

So English and Icelandic are similar here:

• He ties the rope
• Hann bindur reipið

Unlike in some languages, Icelandic does not usually drop the subject pronoun just because the verb form already tells you the person.

A very common way is:

• Hann er að binda reipið.

This literally uses er að + infinitive, which often corresponds to English is doing.

By contrast:

• Hann bindur reipið can be a simple present statement
• Hann er að binda reipið more clearly focuses on the action as ongoing right now

So both are useful, but they are not always used in exactly the same situations.