Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Ef hávaðinn verður of mikill, þá leitum við að þögn. - If the noise becomes too much, then we look for silence.

Ef is a subordinating conjunction meaning “if.” It introduces the conditional clause Ef hávaðinn verður of mikill and links it to the main clause.

Why is hávaðinn in the nominative and marked definite (with -inn)?

hávaðinn is the subject of the clause and appears in nominative singular. The ending -inn is the definite article suffix (“the noise”). Here it refers to “the (ambient) noise” rather than any noise in general.

Why does the verb verður follow hávaðinn instead of appearing at the end?

In Icelandic subordinate clauses introduced by Ef, the finite verb still occupies the second position (V2), just like in main clauses. So the order is Subject–Verb (hávaðinn verður), not with the verb at the very end.

Why is the present tense verður used instead of a future construction like mun verða?

Icelandic often uses the present tense verður (“becomes/will become”) to express a future event. The auxiliary mun is optional and more emphatic. Here verður alone conveys “if the noise becomes/gets too loud.”

What does of mean in of mikill, and why isn’t the adjective neuter?

of is an adverb meaning “too” (as in “too much,” “too loud”). The adjective mikill agrees with hávaðinn (masculine singular nominative), so it takes the masculine form mikill, not the neuter mikið.

What role does þá play in þá leitum við að þögn? Can it be left out?

þá is an adverb meaning “then,” marking the consequence/time relation. It is optional. Without it you simply have leitum við að þögn (“we seek silence”) after the “if” clause. Including þá adds a bit of emphasis on “then.”

In leitum við að þögn, is að the infinitive marker “to”?

No. Here að is a preposition required by the verb leita (“to search/seek”). leita að means “search for” or “seek,” and takes a noun in the dative case.

What case is þögn in after að, and why does it look like the nominative?

Following the preposition að, þögn is in the dative singular. But the strong feminine noun þögn has the same form in nominative, accusative, and dative singular, so you can’t see the case by its ending.

Why is there no article before þögn (“silence”) as in English “the silence” or “a silence”?

Icelandic marks definiteness with suffixes on the noun (e.g. þögnin = “the silence”) and has no separate indefinite article. Abstract nouns like “silence” are left bare when indefinite.

How would you say “we seek the silence” instead of just “silence” in this sentence?

Attach the definite suffix and use the dative form after að:
Ef hávaðinn verður of mikill, þá leitum við að þögninni.