Ég synda vel.

I

Breakdown of Ég synda vel.

• synda: to swim
• vel: well

Questions & Answers about Ég synda vel.

What is the literal English translation of “Ég synda vel”?

It translates to I swim well. Ég means I, synda is the conjugated form of to swim (in the first person singular present), and vel means well.

What role does the word synda play in the sentence?

Synda is the main verb. In this sentence, it is the first person singular present tense form of að synda (to swim), so it tells us what the subject (Ég) is doing.

Why is the adverb vel placed at the end of the sentence?

In Icelandic, adverbs typically follow the verb they modify. In “Ég synda vel,” vel comes after synda to describe the manner in which the swimming is carried out.

What is the typical word order in a simple Icelandic sentence like this one?

The sentence uses a Subject–Verb–Adverb order. Ég is the subject, synda is the verb, and vel is the adverb. This order is common in Icelandic declarative sentences.

How can you tell that synda is a conjugated verb rather than its infinitive form?