Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Hann hjálpar okkur.

Okkur is the object form (both accusative and dative) of við. The verb hjálpa always takes a dative object, so “us” must be in the dative/accusative case (okkur), not the nominative við.

How do you form the present tense of hjálpa, and why is it hjálpar?

Hjálpa is a regular (weak) verb. To make the present tense you drop the infinitive ending -a and add -ar to the stem:
 hjálp- + ar → hjálpar, meaning “(he) helps.”

Does hjálpa always require the dative case for its object?

Yes. Hjálpa is a dative-government verb. Whenever you help someone in Icelandic, that person goes into the dative case (e.g. hjálpa barninu “help the child,” hjálpa vini þínum “help your friend,” hjálpa okkur “help us”).

How is Hann hjálpar okkur pronounced?

Roughly: hahn HYAUL-par OHK-kur. In IPA you might see something like [han ˈçaulpɑr ˈɔhkʏr]. Note that hj is a voiceless palatal fricative (like English “h” + “y”), and á sounds like the “ow” in “cow.”

Is the subject pronoun Hann mandatory in Icelandic?

Yes. Icelandic verb endings do not distinguish gender or (in the third person) person clearly enough to drop the subject pronoun. Since hjálpar would look the same for “he,” “she,” or “it,” you need Hann to know who is doing the helping.

What word order does Hann hjálpar okkur illustrate, and is this the normal pattern?

It shows the standard V2 (verb-second) word order: first you have one “constituent” (here the subject Hann), then the finite verb hjálpar, then the object okkur. That S-V-O pattern with the verb in position two is the default in main clauses.

How would you turn Hann hjálpar okkur into a yes/no question?

Invert subject and verb: Hjálpar hann okkur? – “Does he help us?”

How would you make the sentence negative?

Insert ekki (not) after the object (or sometimes after the verb): Hann hjálpar okkur ekki. – “He doesn’t help us.”