Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Hann skrifar bréfið sjálfur og sendir það eftir nokkrar mínútur. - He writes the letter himself and sends it after a few minutes.

Sjálfur is an emphatic adjective meaning “himself,” used to stress that he (not someone else) writes the letter. It is not the reflexive object. It agrees with the subject in gender, number, and case, so with Hann (masculine nominative singular) you use sjálfur.

Emphatic: Hann skrifar bréfið sjálfur. = He himself writes the letter.
Reflexive (object): Hann skrifar bréfið fyrir sjálfan sig. Here sjálfan is accusative masculine to match the reflexive sig (“himself” as an object).

Why does bréfið have the ending -ið? Where is “the”?

Icelandic attaches the definite article to the end of the noun. bréf (letter, neuter) + the definite ending -ið = bréfið (“the letter”). Here it’s the direct object, so it’s in the accusative, but for neuter nouns nominative and accusative look the same.

What is það doing in sendir það? Does it agree with bréfið?

það is the neuter singular pronoun “it,” referring back to bréfið (neuter). As the direct object of sendir, it’s in the accusative—but nominative and accusative are both það for this pronoun (dative = því, genitive = þess).

Why is it eftir nokkrar mínútur and not something like á eftir nokkrar mínútur?

To express “in/after X minutes,” use eftir + [time duration in the accusative]: eftir nokkrar mínútur.
á eftir means “later/afterwards” without stating a specific amount: Hann sendir það á eftir = “He’ll send it later.”

Which case are nokkrar and mínútur, and why?

Both are accusative plural feminine. mínúta is feminine; its nom/acc plural is mínútur. The quantifier nokkrar (“a few/some”) must agree with it (feminine accusative plural). With durations, Icelandic uses accusative after eftir: eftir [accusative duration].

Could I say eftir nokkrum mínútum instead?

Not with eftir + duration meaning “in/after X time”; that pattern takes the accusative. However, you can say:

Hann sendir það nokkrum mínútum síðar. (“a few minutes later”) Here the dative appears because of the “X [dative] + síðar” construction.

What’s the difference between nokkrar and fáar?

nokkrar mínútur = a few/some minutes (neutral quantity).
fáar mínútur = few minutes (emphasizes smallness/scarcity).
So fáar implies “not many,” while nokkrar is neutral.

Why is it skrifar but sendir? Aren’t both present tense?

Both are 3rd person singular present, but from different verb classes:

skrifa (to write): weak 1, present 3sg = skrifar, past = skrifaði, pp = skrifað.
senda (to send): weak 2, present 3sg = sendir, past = sendi, pp = sent.

Is the present tense natural here even though sending happens later?

Yes. Icelandic often uses the simple present for sequences of actions (narrative or commentary style). If you want to mark future explicitly, you can use:

Hann mun senda það eftir nokkrar mínútur. (will send)
Hann ætlar að senda það eftir nokkrar mínútur. (is going to send) For progressive “is writing,” use er að: Hann er að skrifa bréfið.

Can I move the time phrase to the front?

Yes, but keep the verb in second position (V2 rule):

Eftir nokkrar mínútur sendir hann það.
This is perfectly idiomatic and puts focus on the time.

Do I have to repeat the subject after og?

No. When the subject is the same, Icelandic typically omits it in the second clause:

Hann skrifar bréfið sjálfur og sendir það... You may repeat it for emphasis or clarity:
Hann skrifar bréfið sjálfur og hann sendir það...

Does the position of sjálfur change the emphasis?

Slightly.

Hann skrifar bréfið sjálfur og sendir það... emphasizes that he himself writes the letter; the sending is just the next action.
Hann skrifar bréfið og sendir það sjálfur... suggests he also does the sending himself (no assistant).
Hann sjálfur skrifar bréfið... is stronger contrastive focus on “he himself.”

How would this change with a female or plural subject?

Sjálfur must agree with the subject:

Female: Hún skrifar bréfið sjálf...
Masculine plural: Þeir skrifa bréfið sjálfir...
Feminine plural: Þær skrifa bréfið sjálfar...
Neuter/mixed plural: Þau skrifa bréfið sjálf...

Why is bréfið (the letter) in the accusative? How do I say “write/send to someone”?

As a direct object, bréfið is accusative. With recipients, Icelandic uses the dative for the person:

Hann skrifar henni bréf. (He writes her a letter.) — henni = dative “to her”
Hann sendir henni bréfið. (He sends her the letter.) — recipient in dative; the thing sent stays accusative.

How would I say it in the past tense?

Hann skrifaði bréfið sjálfur og sendi það eftir nokkrar mínútur.