Hann borgar í hvert sinn sem hann fargar byggingarúrgangi.

He pays every time he disposes of construction waste.

Breakdown of Hann borgar í hvert sinn sem hann fargar byggingarúrgangi.

• hann: he
• borga: to pay
• byggingarúrgangurinn: the construction waste
• farga: to dispose of

Questions & Answers about Hann borgar í hvert sinn sem hann fargar byggingarúrgangi.

What does í hvert sinn sem mean, and should I treat it as a fixed expression?

Yes. Í hvert sinn sem is a very common expression meaning every time that / whenever.

It is best learned as a chunk rather than translated word by word. Icelandic often uses set phrases like this where English might use a shorter expression.

You will also see similar patterns such as:

• í þetta sinn = this time
• í fyrsta sinn = for the first time

So here, í hvert sinn sem introduces a repeated situation: every time the action in the second clause happens, the result in the main clause happens too.

Why is it hvert and not some other form of hver?

Because hver changes form depending on gender, number, and case.

Here it goes with sinn, which in this expression is a neuter singular noun meaning time / occasion. The phrase requires the accusative singular, so the correct form is hvert.

So:

• hver = dictionary form
• hvert = neuter singular accusative

That is why you get í hvert sinn.

What is sem doing in this sentence?