Hann er meðal vina.

Because meðal is a preposition that normally takes the genitive case in Icelandic.

• vinur = friend
• vinir = friends, in the nominative plural
• vina = of friends / friends, in the genitive plural

So after meðal, you need vina, not vinir.

Here meðal means among or amid.

It is used when someone or something is in the middle of a group or part of a group setting.

So Hann er meðal vina gives the idea that he is among friends.

The basic dictionary form is vinur, meaning friend.

In this sentence, it appears as vina, which is the genitive plural form.

A learner often has to get used to the fact that Icelandic nouns change form depending on:

• case
• number
• sometimes definiteness

So vina is not a different word, just a different grammatical form of vinur.

Yes, in standard Icelandic, meðal takes the genitive case.

That is why you get:

• meðal vina = among friends
• meðal barna = among children
• meðal fólks = among people

So this sentence is a good example of a preposition that requires a specific case.

Icelandic often does not use a separate word like English the.

Instead, definiteness is usually expressed by:

• context
• or a definite ending attached to the noun

In this sentence, vina is indefinite, so it means simply friends, not necessarily the friends.

If the context already makes it clear which friends are meant, Icelandic may still leave it this way.

Er is the present tense form of the verb að vera, meaning to be.

So:

• ég er = I am
• þú ert = you are
• hann er = he is

In this sentence, er means is.

This is the normal, straightforward Icelandic word order for a simple statement:

• Hann = subject
• er = verb
• meðal vina = prepositional phrase

So it follows the basic pattern: subject + verb + other information

That makes it a very natural sentence structure.

Yes, but it is not exactly the same in tone or meaning.

• Hann er meðal vina = he is among friends / in the company of friends
• Hann er með vinum = he is with friends

Both are possible, but meðal has a slightly more formal or literary feel, and it emphasizes being among a group.
Með is often more common in everyday speech for with.

Also notice the grammar difference:

• meðal takes genitive: vina
• með takes dative: vinum

A rough guide is:

• meðal ≈ MEH-thal
• vina ≈ VEE-na

A few useful pronunciation notes:

• ð in meðal is a voiced sound like th in this
• í/ i in vina here is pronounced like ee
• stress in Icelandic usually falls on the first syllable

So the whole phrase sounds roughly like: HANN er MEH-thal VEE-na

Usually hann means he, referring to a male person.

Icelandic also has grammatical gender, so pronouns can sometimes refer to nouns by grammatical gender as well. But for a learner looking at this sentence on its own, the natural interpretation is simply he.

So here:

• hann = he

It is correct Icelandic, but meðal can sound a bit more formal or literary than some everyday alternatives.

In casual conversation, many speakers might more naturally say something like:

• Hann er með vinum = he is with friends

But Hann er meðal vina is still perfectly good Icelandic and is useful because it clearly shows how meðal works with the genitive.