Flutningurinn byrjar í dag.

The dictionary form is flutningur.

In the sentence, flutningur has the definite article added to it, so flutningurinn means the move or the moving/relocation.

A useful way to think about it is:

• flutningur = move / moving / transport
• flutningurinn = the move

In Icelandic, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of appearing as a separate word.

So instead of a separate word like English the, Icelandic often does this:

• flutningur = move
• flutningurinn = the move

The ending -inn is the definite article, but because of Icelandic sound and case endings, the full form here becomes -urinn.

Because the sentence is talking about a specific move, not the idea of moving in general.

• Flutningurinn byrjar í dag. = a particular move starts today.
• Flutningur byrjar í dag. would sound unusual in normal speech unless you were speaking very generally, abstractly, or in a headline-like style.

So the definite form is the natural choice here.

It can mean several related things depending on context, such as:

• move or relocation
• transport
• transfer
• sometimes shipping

In this sentence, the most natural meaning is the move or the relocation.

Byrjar is the present-tense form of the verb byrja, meaning to begin or to start.

Here it is in the present tense:

• ég byrja = I begin
• þú byrjar = you begin
• hann/hún/það byrjar = he/she/it begins

Since flutningurinn is a singular subject, Icelandic uses the singular verb form byrjar.

Yes, it is grammatically present tense, but Icelandic often uses the present tense for something that is starting now or is scheduled to start very soon.

So Flutningurinn byrjar í dag can naturally mean:

• The move starts today
• The move is beginning today

This is very similar to English, where present tense is also often used for scheduled events.

Í dag is the standard expression for today.

Literally:

• í = in
• dag = a case form of dagur (day)

But you should learn í dag as a fixed everyday expression meaning today.

It is the accusative singular form of dagur.

This is because í dag is an established idiomatic time expression. Icelandic prepositions often control different cases, and with expressions like this, the form is something you mostly just learn as a set phrase.

So:

• dictionary form: dagur = day
• in the phrase: í dag = today

This is the normal straightforward word order:

• Flutningurinn = subject
• byrjar = verb
• í dag = time expression

So it follows the common pattern subject + verb + adverbial.

But Icelandic word order can change, especially when you want to emphasize time. For example:

• Í dag byrjar flutningurinn.

That still means the same thing, but now today is emphasized more. Icelandic is a verb-second language, so when Í dag comes first, the verb byrjar still stays in the second position.

It is in the nominative singular, because it is the subject of the sentence.

So:

• flutningur = nominative singular, indefinite
• flutningurinn = nominative singular, definite

A learner should get used to the idea that Icelandic nouns change form depending on both case and definiteness.

No. Icelandic verbs do not change according to grammatical gender.

The verb agrees mainly with person and number, not masculine/feminine/neuter.

So in this sentence, byrjar is singular because flutningurinn is singular, but the fact that flutningur is masculine does not change the verb form.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• Flutningurinn ≈ FLUT-ning-ur-rin
• byrjar ≈ BIR-yar
• í dag ≈ ee daag

A few helpful pronunciation points:

• Stress usually falls on the first syllable of Icelandic words.
• The r is usually pronounced clearly, often with a light trill or tap.
• í is a long vowel, like English ee.
• The spelling-to-sound match in Icelandic is often more regular than in English, but some vowels are not pronounced exactly like their English letter names.