Í þann mund sem skoðunarmaðurinn kemur, athugar hann ljósabúnaðinn.

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Breakdown of Í þann mund sem skoðunarmaðurinn kemur, athugar hann ljósabúnaðinn.

• koma: to come
• athuga: to check
• skoðunarmaðurinn: the vehicle inspector

Questions & Answers about Í þann mund sem skoðunarmaðurinn kemur, athugar hann ljósabúnaðinn.

What does í þann mund sem mean? Is it a fixed expression?

Yes. Í þann mund sem is basically a fixed expression meaning just as, at the moment when, or right when.

So:

• Í þann mund sem skoðunarmaðurinn kemur
  = just as the inspector arrives / at the moment when the inspector arrives

This expression is a bit more formal or literary than very plain everyday wording, but it is perfectly normal Icelandic.

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Why is it þann after í? I thought í often takes the dative for location.

Good question. Normally, í can take either:

• dative for location/state: í húsinu = in the house
• accusative for movement into something: í húsið = into the house

But í þann mund is an idiomatic time expression, and it uses the accusative.

Here:

• þann = masculine accusative singular of sá
• mund = accusative singular

So even though there is no physical movement here, the phrase is simply learned as:

• í þann mund = at that moment / just then

It is best treated as a set phrase.

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What is sem doing in this sentence?