Hann þvær sér og sér sig í spegli.

He washes himself and sees himself in a mirror.

Breakdown of Hann þvær sér og sér sig í spegli.

• sjá: to see
• hann: he
• í: in
• og: and
• þvo: to wash
• sér: himself
• sig: himself
• spegillinn: the mirror

Questions & Answers about Hann þvær sér og sér sig í spegli.

Why does the word sér appear twice? Does it mean the same thing both times?

No. The first sér is the dative reflexive pronoun meaning himself with the verb þvær (from að þvo, “to wash”): þvo sér = “wash oneself.” The second sér is the verb að sjá in 3rd person singular present: hann sér = “he sees.” So the whole sentence means: “He washes himself and he sees himself in a mirror.”

How can I tell which sér is the verb and which is the pronoun?

Use position and context:

• After þvær, you expect an object; sér here is the object (the pronoun).
• After og, Icelandic keeps verb-second order, so sér appears right after the (understood) subject in the second clause; that sér is the finite verb “sees.”

Why is it sér with þvær but sig with sér (sees)? When do I choose sig vs sér?

Verbs govern case:

• þvo sér takes the dative object → use dative reflexive: sér.
• sjá sig takes the accusative object → use accusative reflexive: sig. Quick forms (3rd person):
• Accusative reflexive: sig
• Dative reflexive: sér For 1st/2nd person, use the regular pronouns: mig/mér, þig/þér, okkur/okkur, ykkur/ykkur.

Could I say Hann sér hann í spegli instead of Hann sér sig?

You can, but it changes the meaning. Hann sér hann = “He sees him” (another male). Hann sér sig = “He sees himself.” Use sig to make it reflexive.

Can I repeat the subject in the second clause?

Yes. Both are fine:

• Hann þvær sér og sér sig í spegli. (more natural)
• Hann þvær sér og hann sér sig í spegli. (extra emphasis/clarity)

What’s going on with í spegli? Why the -i ending, and how would I say “in the mirror” or “into the mirror”?

• í takes the dative for location: í spegli = “in a mirror.” The noun is spegill (nom. sg.); dative sg. is spegli.
• Definite form: í speglinum = “in the mirror.”
• With motion into, í takes the accusative: í spegil = “into a mirror”; í spegilinn = “into the mirror.”

Why is the verb form þvær and not þvo?

The infinitive is að þvo (“to wash”). In the present singular it’s irregular (i-umlaut):

• ég þvæ, þú þværð, hann/hún/það þvær. So þvær is the regular 3rd person singular present for this verb.

What are the present-tense forms of sjá?

Present indicative:

• ég sé, þú sérð, hann/hún/það sér
• við sjáum, þið sjáið, þeir/þær/þau sjá

How would this change with a different subject (she/they)? Does sig/sér change with gender or number?

The reflexive is the same for all 3rd-person subjects.

• Hún þvær sér og sér sig í spegli. (she)
• Þau þvo sér og sjá sig í spegli. (they) Reflexive sig/sér doesn’t change for gender or number in 3rd person; the verbs do.

Where does ekki go if I want to negate the second clause?

In neutral order, put ekki after the object:

• Hann þvær sér og sér sig ekki í spegli. = “He washes himself and doesn’t see himself in a mirror.”

How do I pronounce the special letters here?

• þ in þvær: unvoiced th, like “thin.”
• æ in þvær: like “eye.”
• é in sér: roughly “yeh” (y + e).
• og: often “ohg,” and in fast speech just “o.”
• í: “ee.” Very rough whole-sentence guide: “Hahn th-vair syair oh syair sig ee speg-li.”

Could I say “looks at himself in the mirror” instead of “sees himself”?

Yes. A common phrasing is:

• Hann lítur á sig í spegli. (look at = líta á
  • accusative) Note that á takes the accusative; sig stays accusative here.

Is there an article for “a” in Icelandic? Why is there no word before spegli?

Icelandic has no separate indefinite article. Indefiniteness is shown by the bare noun (spegli = “a mirror”). Definiteness is shown with a suffixed article: speglinum = “the mirror” (dative).