Ekki klúðra pöntuninni.

Don't mess up the order.

Breakdown of Ekki klúðra pöntuninni.

• ekki: not
• pöntunin: the order
• klúðra: to mess up; bungle

Questions & Answers about Ekki klúðra pöntuninni.

Why does the sentence start with Ekki?

Because this is a negative command: Ekki means not / don’t here.

In Icelandic, a very common way to make a negative command is:

Ekki + infinitive

So:

Ekki klúðra ... = Don’t mess up ...

This is a very natural pattern in everyday Icelandic, similar to Ekki fara! = Don’t go!

Is klúðra an infinitive here, or is it an imperative?

Formally, klúðra is the infinitive of the verb, from að klúðra.

In negative commands, Icelandic often uses the infinitive after Ekki, so even though the sentence is giving a command, the verb appears in its infinitive form.

Compare:

• Ekki klúðra pöntuninni. = common negative command
• Klúðraðu ekki pöntuninni. = also correct, more explicitly addressed to one person

So the sentence is imperative in meaning, but klúðra itself is infinitive in form.

Where is the word for you?

It is simply understood.

Like English imperatives, Icelandic commands usually leave out the subject:

• Eat!
• Don’t go!

You do not normally say you unless you want emphasis.

So in Ekki klúðra pöntuninni, the understood subject is you.

What exactly does klúðra mean, and is it formal?