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Hann þvær sér í sturtu eftir vinnu.

Hann þvær sér í sturtu eftir vinnu.
He washes himself in the shower after work.
FromLesson 15inHardcore Icelandic

Breakdown of Hann þvær sér í sturtu eftir vinnu.

hann
he
vinna
the work
í
in
eftir
after
þvo
to wash
sturta
the shower
sér
himself

Questions & Answers about Hann þvær sér í sturtu eftir vinnu.

Why is it sér and not sig or hann?
  • sér is the dative form of the reflexive pronoun (3rd person) and means “himself/herself/itself/themselves” depending on the subject.
  • The verb þvo governs the dative in the set phrase þvo sér “to wash oneself,” so you must use the dative reflexive.
  • sig is the accusative reflexive; it’s not used here because this verb phrase calls for the dative.
  • hann would mean “he washes him (some other man),” not himself.

Examples:

  • Hann þvær sér. = He washes himself.
  • Hann þvær hann. = He washes him (someone else).
Why is the verb form þvær and not þvo?
  • þvo is the infinitive “to wash.”
  • þvær is the 3rd person singular present indicative: “he/she/it washes.”
  • Present singular forms: ég þvæ, þú þværð, hann/hún/það þvær.
  • 3rd person plural present: þeir/þær/þau þvo.
  • Past: þvoði (e.g., Ég þvoði mér “I washed”).
  • Past participle: þvegið/þveginn (e.g., Ég hef þvegið mér um hendurnar).

The vowel change (þvo → þvær) is an i-umlaut type alternation in the present singular.

What case is used in í sturtu, and why?
  • í takes the dative for location (“in”) and the accusative for motion (“into”).
  • í sturtu is dative singular of sturta (“shower”) because it denotes location: he is washing while in the shower.
  • If you mean motion into the shower, use accusative: Hann fer í sturtuna (“He goes into the shower”).
Why is it eftir vinnu and not something with a definite article?
  • eftir here means “after (in time)” and governs the accusative. vinna (work) has the form vinnu in both accusative and dative singular, so you don’t see a shape difference.
  • The expression eftir vinnu is idiomatic and generic, like English “after work” (no article).
  • If you refer to a specific shift or job, you can say eftir vinnuna (“after the [specific] work/shift”).
Could the sentence mean he’s doing it right now?
  • As written, Hann þvær sér… most naturally reads as a habitual/general statement (“He washes himself …”).
  • For an ongoing action right now, use the progressive construction: Hann er að þvo sér í sturtu (núna).
Why isn’t it í sturtunni (“in the shower” with the definite ending)?
  • Icelandic often uses an indefinite noun for routine activities and generic locations: í skóla (at school), í vinnu (at work), í sturtu (in the shower).
  • Use the definite form when a specific, previously mentioned shower is meant: í sturtunni (“in the [particular] shower”).
Can I move the time phrase to the front? What happens to word order?

Yes. Icelandic is verb-second (V2) in main clauses. If you front the time phrase, the finite verb stays in second position:

  • Eftir vinnu þvær hann sér í sturtu.
    Order: [Time] + [Verb] + [Subject] + …
How would I say “He washes his hands/hair after work”?

Use the idiom þvo sér um + definite body part:

  • Hann þvær sér um hendurnar eftir vinnu. (hands)
  • Hann þvær sér um hárið eftir vinnu. (hair)
How do I negate this?

Place ekki after the finite verb:

  • Hann þvær sér ekki í sturtu eftir vinnu.
    If you front something (V2 still applies), ekki still follows the finite verb:
  • Eftir vinnu þvær hann sér ekki í sturtu.
How do I say it with other persons?
  • 1st sg: Ég þvæ mér (í sturtu eftir vinnu).
  • 2nd sg: Þú þværð þér…
  • 3rd sg: Hann/Hún/Það þvær sér…
  • 3rd pl: Þeir/Þær/Þau þvo sér…
    Note: The reflexive forms (sig/sér/sín) are only 3rd person. In 1st/2nd person you use ordinary personal pronouns in the right case (e.g., mér, þér, okkur, ykkur).
Could I drop í sturtu?
Yes. Hann þvær sér eftir vinnu simply says he washes himself after work (could be at a sink, etc.). í sturtu specifies where.
What if he’s washing someone else?

Then you use a normal (non-reflexive) object in the accusative:

  • Hann þvær barnið í sturtu. (He washes the child in the shower.)
Are there natural alternatives to say “take a shower”?
  • Very common: Hann fer í sturtu (eftir vinnu). = He takes a shower.
  • Hann baðar sig means “He bathes” (in a bath), not a shower.
  • Avoid literal calques like “tekur sturtu”; fara í sturtu is the idiomatic choice.
How are the special letters pronounced here?
  • þ = unvoiced “th,” like in English “think”: þvær ~ “thvair.”
  • æ = like the vowel in English “eye.”
  • é (in sér) = roughly “yeh,” so sér ~ “syer.”
  • í = long “ee,” as in í sturtu.
    Stress is always on the first syllable of each word in Icelandic.
Does eftir always take the accusative?
  • With the temporal meaning “after,” eftir takes the accusative: eftir viku, eftir fundinn.
  • With other meanings it can take the dative, e.g., “according to”: eftir lögum (“according to the law”) or authorship: bók eftir Jón (“a book by Jón”).
  • In eftir vinnu, the form vinnu happens to be the same in acc/dat singular, but here the meaning is temporal (“after work”).
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