Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Ekki senda tölvupóst þegar þú keyrir!

In Icelandic, a general or impersonal prohibition (as you’d see on signs or in instructions) is formed with ekki + the infinitive. You never inflect the verb in that construction. So “Don’t send” becomes Ekki senda, not an imperative form like sendu. If you were speaking directly to someone in conversation, you could say Sendu ekki tölvupóst, but for a neutral warning, use ekki + infinitive.

What case is tölvupóst, and why does it lack the –ur ending you see in the dictionary form tölvupóstur?

Tölvupóstur is a strong masculine noun. Its accusative singular form drops the –ur ending, giving tölvupóst. Since tölvupóst is the direct object of senda, it takes the accusative. Also, Icelandic has no indefinite article, so you simply leave the noun bare when you mean “an e-mail.”

Why is the pronoun þú included in þegar þú keyrir? Could you say þegar keyrir?

In subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like þegar (“when”), Icelandic generally requires an explicit subject. The finite verb (here keyrir) must stay in second position, so you need þú. Omitting þú would be ungrammatical:

Correct: þegar þú keyrir
Incorrect: þegar keyrir

Why is the verb keyrir in the present indicative, and not an infinitive or participle?

Conjunction þegar introduces a finite clause that states when something happens. You use the present indicative (keyrir) to convey “you drive.” Infinitives and participles are not used for this kind of temporal clause.

Can I use meðan instead of þegar? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can. Both words can mean “while,” but there’s a subtle nuance:

þegar often pinpoints a moment or event (“when”).
meðan emphasizes ongoing duration (“for as long as”).

So:
• Ekki senda tölvupóst þegar þú keyrir!
• Ekki senda tölvupóst meðan þú keyrir!

Both are correct; choose meðan if you want to stress the entire time span.

Why is the word order Ekki senda tölvupóst rather than Senda ekki tölvupóst?

For a sign-style or general warning, the pattern is Ekki + infinitive + object. Placing ekki after the verb (as in senda ekki) would either change the structure to a personal imperative (Sendu ekki) or sound awkward for a neutral instruction.

Could I phrase it with the progressive form, like ert að keyra?

Absolutely. You can say:
Ekki senda tölvupóst þegar þú ert að keyra!
That literally means “Don’t send e-mail when you are driving.” Icelandic often uses vera að + infinitive to express a continuous action, but the simple present (keyrir) is more concise.

Why isn’t there an article before tölvupóst, like “an” in English?

Icelandic does not have an indefinite article. A bare noun can mean “an ” or “some .” If you wanted “the e-mail,” you’d use the definite form tölvupóstinn.