Hún elskar tímann.

Because tímann is the accusative singular definite form of tími.

A quick breakdown:

• tími = time (indefinite nominative singular)
• tíminn = the time (definite nominative singular)
• tímann = the time (definite accusative singular)

In this sentence, tímann is the direct object of elskar, so it has to be in the accusative case.

Tímann is in the accusative case.

In Icelandic, many verbs require their direct object to be in a particular case. The verb elska (to love) takes an accusative object, so the noun receiving the action must be accusative.

So in:

• Hún = the subject
• elskar = the verb
• tímann = the object in accusative

This is one of the most important things to get used to in Icelandic: verbs often control the case of the noun that follows.

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

So:

• tími = time
• tíminn / tímann = the time (with different case forms)

That means the -inn / -ann ending is doing the job that English the does.

This is very common in Icelandic nouns.

Elskar is the present tense form of the verb elska (to love).

Here it means loves.

A useful point for learners: in the present tense, Icelandic verbs change depending on the subject, but not as much as in some other languages. For elska, the third person singular form is:

• hann elskar = he loves
• hún elskar = she loves
• það elskar = it loves

So elskar here matches hún.

It is capitalized simply because it is the first word of the sentence.

The word itself is hún with a lowercase h in normal dictionary form.

So:

• hún = she
• Hún = the same word at the beginning of a sentence

Not always.

Hún is the feminine third-person singular pronoun, so it can refer to:

• a female person
• a noun with grammatical feminine gender

Like many European languages, Icelandic has grammatical gender, so pronouns can refer to noun gender, not just biological sex.

In this sentence, though, most learners will naturally read hún as she.

Yes. This is the basic subject–verb–object order:

• Hún = subject
• elskar = verb
• tímann = object

That is the most neutral and natural order here.

Icelandic can be more flexible than English because case endings help show what each word is doing, but this sentence uses the standard, straightforward order.

Yes, that is possible, but it changes the emphasis.

Putting tímann first gives it more focus, something like:

• It is the time that she loves
• The time, she loves

Because tímann is clearly accusative, Icelandic speakers can still tell it is the object. But for a beginner, Hún elskar tímann is the safest and most neutral version.

A simple learner-friendly guide:

• Hún ≈ hoon
• elskar ≈ EL-skar
• tímann ≈ TEE-man

A few pronunciation notes:

• ú is a long oo-type sound.
• í is a long ee sound.
• Stress in Icelandic usually falls on the first syllable of each word.

So the main stresses are:

• HÚN
• ELskar
• TÍmann

It can mean different things depending on context.

Tími can mean:

• time in the general sense
• a period of time
• sometimes even a season, era, or appointed time

So Hún elskar tímann could mean she loves time, the moment, or the period, depending on the situation.

Without context, learners should just recognize the grammar first: it is the definite accusative form of tími.

Usually yes.

Unlike some languages that often drop subject pronouns, Icelandic normally keeps them. So saying Hún elskar tímann is the normal full sentence.

That makes Icelandic more similar to English in this respect than to languages like Spanish or Italian.