Lögfræðingurinn les samninginn.

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

So:

• lögfræðingur = lawyer
• lögfræðingurinn = the lawyer

and

• samningur = contract / agreement
• samninginn = the contract / the agreement

The exact form of that attached article changes depending on gender, number, and case, so it will not always look the same.

Because Icelandic nouns change form depending on their grammatical case.

In this sentence:

• lögfræðingurinn is the subject = the person doing the reading
• samninginn is the direct object = the thing being read

The subject is in the nominative case, while the direct object is in the accusative case.

So the two nouns take different forms:

• lögfræðingurinn = nominative singular definite
• samninginn = accusative singular definite

This is very common in Icelandic. English mostly does not show this on nouns, but Icelandic does.

There are two main clues:

• Word order: Icelandic often puts the subject before the verb in a basic sentence.
• Case endings:
  
  • lögfræðingurinn is in the nominative case, which marks the subject
  • samninginn is in the accusative case, which marks the direct object

So even if you only looked at the grammar, lögfræðingurinn is the one reading, and samninginn is what is being read.

Les is the present tense, third person singular form of the verb lesa, which means to read.

So:

• ég les = I read / I am reading
• þú lest = you read / you are reading
• hann / hún / það les = he / she / it reads / is reading

In your sentence, lögfræðingurinn les means the lawyer reads or the lawyer is reading.

It can mean either one, depending on context.

Icelandic often uses the simple present where English might use either:

• reads
• is reading

So Lögfræðingurinn les samninginn can mean:

• The lawyer reads the contract
• The lawyer is reading the contract

If the context does not make a difference important, Icelandic often leaves it as just the simple present.

The dictionary forms are:

• lögfræðingur = lawyer
• lesa = to read
• samningur = contract / agreement

This is important because Icelandic words often appear in changed forms in actual sentences.

For example:

• sentence form: lögfræðingurinn
• dictionary form: lögfræðingur

and

• sentence form: samninginn
• dictionary form: samningur

Icelandic does not normally use an indefinite article like English a or an.

So:

• lögfræðingur can mean a lawyer
• samningur can mean a contract

If you wanted an indefinite version of the sentence, you could have:

• Lögfræðingur les samning. = A lawyer reads a contract

Whether something is definite or indefinite is usually shown by:

• the noun form itself
• the context

The basic order here is:

• subject + verb + object

That is very common and natural.

But Icelandic word order is more flexible than English, especially because case endings help show who is doing what. For example, you can move parts of the sentence for emphasis:

• Samninginn les lögfræðingurinn.

This still means The lawyer reads the contract, but now the object is brought to the front for emphasis or style.

So yes, the word order can change, but the original sentence is the most neutral, straightforward version.

Both lögfræðingur and samningur are masculine nouns.

Yes, that matters a lot in Icelandic, because gender affects:

• noun endings
• the attached definite article
• adjective forms
• some pronouns

That is one reason the definite forms look the way they do here.

For learners, it is best to memorize Icelandic nouns together with their gender and, ideally, their nominative singular form:

• lögfræðingur — masculine
• samningur — masculine

A rough English-friendly approximation is:

• Lögfræðingurinn ≈ LUHG-frai-dhing-gu-rin
• les ≈ less
• samninginn ≈ SAMN-ing-in

A few important notes:

• ö is not exactly an English sound; it is somewhat like the vowel in French bleu or German schön
• æ sounds like the vowel in English eye
• ð is like the th in this
• Icelandic r is usually trilled or tapped
• double consonants and stress patterns matter

The main stress in Icelandic is usually on the first syllable of the word.

You would change which noun is definite.

• Lögfræðingurinn les samning.
  = The lawyer is reading a contract

• Lögfræðingur les samninginn.
  = A lawyer is reading the contract

• Lögfræðingur les samning.
  = A lawyer is reading a contract

This is a very useful pattern to practice, because Icelandic marks definiteness directly on the noun rather than using a separate word like English the.