Barnið líkir eftir kennaranum.

Barnið is barn (child) with the definite article attached, so it means the child.

• barn = child
• barnið = the child

In Icelandic, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like English the.

Also, barn is a neuter noun, and barnið here is in the nominative singular, because it is the subject of the sentence.

The basic form is að líkja eftir.

In the sentence, líkir is the 3rd person singular present tense form, because the subject is barnið (the child), which is singular.

So:

• að líkja eftir = to imitate
• barnið líkir eftir ... = the child imitates ...

A native English speaker may expect one single verb, but here Icelandic uses a verb plus a preposition: líkja eftir.

Here, eftir is part of the verbal expression að líkja eftir, which means to imitate.

On its own, eftir often means after, but in this sentence you should learn líkja eftir as a unit. If you translate word-for-word, it can sound strange, but the full expression means to copy / imitate someone or something.

So it is best not to think:

• líkja = imitate
• eftir = after

Instead, think:

• líkja eftir e-m/e-u = imitate someone/something

Because að líkja eftir takes the dative case.

The noun kennari (teacher) is a masculine noun, and its dative singular definite form is kennaranum:

• kennari = teacher
• kennarinn = the teacher (nominative)
• kennaranum = the teacher (dative)

Since eftir here governs the dative in this expression, you get:

• Barnið líkir eftir kennaranum.

So the ending is not random; it shows the grammatical role required by the verb phrase.

Barnið is in the nominative case, because it is the subject of the sentence — the one doing the action.

In this sentence:

• barnið = the subject
• líkir eftir = the verb phrase
• kennaranum = the object/complement in the dative

That means the sentence structure is roughly:

• The child
  • imitates
    • the teacher

Even though Icelandic uses case endings, the subject here is still in the normal nominative form.

No. Another very common expression is að herma eftir.

Both can mean to imitate, although usage can vary a bit by context and style. For a learner, it is useful to recognize both:

• að líkja eftir
• að herma eftir

If you encounter both, do not be surprised. In everyday speech, herma eftir is very common.

No. Even though they look similar, að líka and að líkja eftir are different verbs.

• að líka = to like / to please
• að líkja eftir = to imitate

This is a very common source of confusion for English speakers.

For example:

• Mér líkar kennarinn. = I like the teacher.
• Barnið líkir eftir kennaranum. = The child imitates the teacher.

So do not confuse líkar from að líka with líkir from að líkja eftir.

Yes, Icelandic word order is somewhat flexible, but the neutral, straightforward order here is:

• Barnið líkir eftir kennaranum.

Because Icelandic marks case, speakers can sometimes move parts around for emphasis. However, for learners, this standard order is the safest pattern to use.

One important thing to remember is that Icelandic is a verb-second language in many main clauses. So if something else comes first, the verb often still stays in the second position. But in a simple sentence like this, the basic subject-verb-object/complement order is perfectly natural.

A rough learner-friendly guide is:

• Barnið ≈ BAR-nith
• líkir ≈ LEE-kir
• eftir ≈ EF-tir
• kennaranum ≈ KENN-ar-an-um

A few useful notes:

• ð in barnið is like a soft th in this
• í is a long ee sound
• ll, nn, and other doubled consonants are pronounced distinctly in Icelandic
• stress is usually on the first syllable of the word

This is only an approximation, but it can help you get started.

A very useful pattern is:

• X líkir eftir Y

with these grammar points:

• X is in the nominative if it is the subject
• Y is in the dative
• the verb is the present-tense form of að líkja eftir

So you can build similar sentences, for example:

• Drengurinn líkir eftir bróður sínum. = The boy imitates his brother.
• Stúlkan líkir eftir mömmunni. = The girl imitates the mother.

The main thing to remember is that að líkja eftir is a fixed expression and the noun after it goes in the dative.