Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Eftir eina mínútu ertu til hægri við apótekið. - After one minute you are to the right of the pharmacy.

In time expressions like this, eftir means “in (from now).” So "Eftir eina mínútu ..." = "In one minute ...". For the vaguer “later/afterwards,” Icelandic also uses "á eftir": "Hann kemur á eftir" = "He’ll come later."

Why is it eina mínútu and not einni mínútu?

Because in this “in X time” meaning, eftir is most commonly followed by the accusative. "Mínúta" is feminine; the accusative singular of "einn" is "eina", so "eftir eina mínútu." With other numbers:

eftir tvær mínútur
eftir þrjár mínútur
eftir fimm mínútur You may hear the dative ("eftir einni mínútu") from some speakers, but accusative is the safest and most common in this use.

Why ertu instead of þú ert?

Icelandic main clauses are verb‑second (V2). When you front a time phrase ("Eftir eina mínútu"), the finite verb comes next and the subject follows: "... ert þú ...". In everyday speech (and much writing) the clitic form "ertu" (verb + þú fused) is very common even in statements, so "Eftir eina mínútu ertu ..." is natural. A slightly more formal variant is "Eftir eina mínútu ert þú ...".

Could I put the time phrase at the end?

Yes: "Þú ert til hægri við apótekið eftir eina mínútu." Meaning is the same; fronting the time phrase just emphasizes the time.

Why is present tense used (ertu) when the event is in the future?

Icelandic has no dedicated future tense; the present is regularly used for near‑future plans and predictions, especially with a time adverbial: "Eftir eina mínútu ertu ...". You can also make the futurity explicit: "Eftir eina mínútu muntu vera/verður þú til hægri ...", but it isn’t required.

What does til hægri literally mean, and why til?

"Til hægri" is a fixed directional phrase meaning "to/on the right" (parallel to "til vinstri" = "to/on the left"). Although "til" normally takes the genitive with nouns (e.g., "til Reykjavíkur"), in "til hægri/vinstri" it’s best treated as a set expression; you don’t add an article or change the form.

Could I say hægra megin instead of til hægri?

Yes. "Hægra megin (við X)" means "on the right‑hand side (of X)" and is very idiomatic: "Eftir eina mínútu ertu hægra megin við apótekið." Both versions are fine in directions; "hægra megin" is a bit more explicit.

Why is it við apótekið and not hjá apótekinu?

"við" (+ accusative) = by/next to/alongside, the default with landmarks in directions: "við kirkjuna", "við brúna".
"hjá" (+ dative) = at/with (at someone’s place/area, in the vicinity). "Hjá apótekinu" can also mean "by the pharmacy", but "við" often feels more directly adjacent. If you want "right next to," "við hliðina á apótekinu" is very explicit.

What case does við take, and is apótekið in that case?

"Við" governs the accusative. "Apótekið" is the definite accusative singular of the neuter noun "apótek". For neuter nouns, nominative and accusative look the same; the -ið ending shows it’s definite: "apótek" (a pharmacy), "apótekið" (the pharmacy).

Why the definite form “apótekið” here?

In directions you almost always refer to a specific, identifiable landmark, so Icelandic uses the definite form: "við apótekið" = "by the pharmacy (we both know which one)."

Is til hægri used only for location, or also for turning?

Both. Commands: "Beygðu til hægri/vinstri" (Turn right/left). Static location: "Húsið er til hægri" (The house is on the right).

What’s the difference between eftir eina mínútu and í eina mínútu?

"Eftir eina mínútu" = "in one minute (from now)" — time until something happens.
"Í eina mínútu" = "for one minute" — duration of an action: "Hann beið í eina mínútu" (He waited for one minute).
"Á einni mínútu" can mean "in one minute" in the sense of how long something takes: "Hún kláraði verkið á einni mínútu."

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

"ertu": roughly ER-tu (r trilled).
"til hægri": til HYE-gri (æ like eye; g is a soft g; r trilled).
"við": vith (ð like the th in “this”).
"apótekið": a-POH-te-kith (stress on the first syllable of "apótek"; final ð is the “th” in “this” and may be very soft).

Could I say til hægri við apótek instead of apótekið?

Grammatically possible, but it would mean "to the right of a pharmacy". In directions you almost always want the definite landmark, so "apótekið" is the natural choice.

Are there other natural ways to phrase the whole sentence?

Yes, for example:

"Eftir eina mínútu ert þú hægra megin við apótekið."
"Eftir eina mínútu verðurðu til hægri við apótekið." (colloquial "verðurðu" = "verður þú")
"Þú ert kominn/komin til hægri við apótekið eftir eina mínútu." (with the gendered participle “arrived/ended up”)