Við gerum þetta öðruvísi.

Við means we.

It is pronounced roughly like vith or vith with a soft th sound, not like English with, but fairly close for a beginner. The letter ð in Icelandic is like the th in this.

So:

• við = we

Because gerum is the form of gera that matches við (we) in the present tense.

The verb gera means to do / to make. Its present tense is:

• ég geri = I do
• þú gerir = you do
• hann/hún/það gerir = he/she/it does
• við gerum = we do
• þið gerið = you all do
• þeir/þær/þau gera = they do

So in Við gerum þetta öðruvísi, the subject is we, so the verb must be gerum.

It can mean both, depending on context.

In Icelandic, gera is a very common verb and covers a lot of the same ground as English do and make.

Examples:

• gera þetta = do this
• gera köku = make a cake
• gera mistök = make a mistake

In this sentence, gera þetta is best understood as do this.

Þetta means this.

In this sentence, it is the object of the verb:

• Við = we
• gerum = do
• þetta = this
• öðruvísi = differently

So literally: We do this differently.

Depending on context, English might sometimes translate þetta more naturally as it, but the actual Icelandic word here is this.

It is þetta because it is the direct object of the verb gerum, and þetta is the neuter singular form that fits here.

The pronoun þessi (this) changes form depending on case and gender. A few common forms are:

• þetta = this (neuter nominative/accusative)
• þessu = this (neuter dative)
• þess = this (neuter genitive)

Since gera eitthvað (do something) takes a direct object, and þetta is that object, the accusative form is used. For neuter singular, nominative and accusative happen to look the same: þetta.

Here, öðruvísi is an adverb, and it means differently or in a different way.

It describes how the action is done:

• Við gerum þetta öðruvísi.
• We do this differently.

Because it is an adverb, it does not agree with a noun in gender, number, or case the way an adjective would.

Normally, no. Öðruvísi is generally treated as an indeclinable adverb, so it stays the same.

That is useful for learners because you do not have to match it to gender, number, or case.

For example:

• Ég geri þetta öðruvísi. = I do this differently.
• Hún gerir þetta öðruvísi. = She does this differently.
• Við gerum þetta öðruvísi. = We do this differently.

The word öðruvísi stays the same in all of these.

Yes, Icelandic word order can be somewhat flexible, but this sentence uses the most straightforward neutral order:

• Subject: Við
• Verb: gerum
• Object: þetta
• Adverb: öðruvísi

So:

• Við gerum þetta öðruvísi. = neutral, natural word order

You may also see other orders for emphasis, especially in more advanced Icelandic, but for a learner this is the safest and most standard pattern.

In normal Icelandic, yes, you usually include the subject pronoun.

Even though gerum clearly marks we, Icelandic usually still says við:

• Við gerum þetta öðruvísi.

Leaving out við would usually sound incomplete unless the subject is already very clear from context or you are in a special style.

So unlike some languages where subject pronouns are often dropped, Icelandic generally keeps them.

Þetta is pronounced roughly like THET-ta.

A few pronunciation notes:

• þ is like the th in thing
• e is short, like e in bet
• the double tt is pronounced distinctly
• the final a is a short vowel, roughly ah

So a beginner-friendly approximation is:

• þetta ≈ THET-ta

A rough beginner approximation is:

• UR-thru-VEE-see

A few helpful points:

• ö is not an English sound exactly; it is somewhat like the u in British burn, but shorter
• ð sounds like the th in this
• the stress is on the first syllable, as in most Icelandic words

You do not need perfect pronunciation right away; the key thing is to recognize it as one word meaning differently.

Yes. A common alternative is:

• Við gerum þetta á annan hátt.

That also means We do this differently or We do this in another way.

The sentence with öðruvísi is very natural and compact, while á annan hátt is a little more literal: in another way / by another method.

Both are useful, but Við gerum þetta öðruvísi is a very common everyday way to say it.

Yes—this sentence is a good example of a very common Icelandic pattern:

• subject + verb + object + adverb

It also teaches three useful words/forms:

• við = we
• gerum = do / make (for we)
• öðruvísi = differently

So you can use it as a model for many similar sentences, for example:

• Við segjum þetta öðruvísi. = We say this differently.
• Við útskýrum þetta öðruvísi. = We explain this differently.

It is a short sentence, but it contains very practical Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.