Ég skil vandamálið.

I understand the problem.

Breakdown of Ég skil vandamálið.

• ég: I
• skilja: to understand
• vandamálið: the problem

Questions & Answers about Ég skil vandamálið.

What does each word in Ég skil vandamálið correspond to?

• Ég = I (nominative subject pronoun)
• skil = understand (1st person singular present of the verb að skilja)
• vandamálið = the problem (neuter noun in the accusative, with the definite article suffixed as -ið)

Word order is the default SVO: subject–verb–object.

Why does vandamálið end in -ið?

Icelandic puts the definite article on the end of nouns. For neuter nouns like vandamál (“problem”), the definite singular ending is -ið: vandamál → vandamálið = “the problem.”

Which grammatical case is vandamálið in, and why?

It’s in the accusative singular. The verb skilja (“to understand”) takes a direct object in the accusative. The subject Ég is nominative.

How would I say “a problem,” “problems,” and “the problems”?

• “a problem”: vandamál (indefinite singular; same form as nominative/accusative)
• “problems”: vandamál (indefinite plural; same form as singular in nom/acc)
• “the problems”: vandamálin (definite plural) Examples:
• Ég skil vandamál. = I understand a/some problem(s) (context decides).
• Ég skil vandamálin. = I understand the problems.

How do I pronounce the sentence?

• Roughly: “Yeh shkeel VAHN-da-mowl-ith.”
• Tips:
  • Ég: the final g is a soft fricative; many learners barely pronounce it.
  • skil: sk before front vowels (like i) is palatalized; it can sound like “shk.”
  • á in vandamál is a diphthong like the “ow” in “cow.”
  • ð in -ið is like the “th” in “this,” often very soft at the end of a word.

How is að skilja conjugated in the present tense?

• ég skil
• þú skilur
• hann/hún/það skilur
• við skiljum
• þið skiljið
• þeir/þær/þau skilja

How do I put it in the past, future, or say “can understand”?

• Past: Ég skildi vandamálið. = I understood the problem.
• Future: Ég mun skilja vandamálið. = I will understand the problem.
• With “can”: Ég get skilið vandamálið. = I can understand the problem. (With geta, the main verb often appears in the supine form, here skilið.)

How do I negate it?

Put ekki after the verb:

• Ég skil ekki vandamálið. = I don’t understand the problem.

How do I ask “Do you understand the problem?”

• Neutral: Skilur þú vandamálið?
• Very common spoken form: Skilurðu vandamálið? (contracted from skilur þú)

Can I drop the subject pronoun like Spanish or Italian?

Generally no. Icelandic is not a pro-drop language. You normally include Ég. (Ellipsis can occur in very informal speech or notes, but it’s not the default.)

What’s the difference between Ég skil and Ég skil það?

• Ég skil. = “I see / I get it.” (General acknowledgment; object is understood from context.)
• Ég skil það. = “I understand it.” (Explicitly refers to some previously mentioned thing, using það = “it.”)

What’s the difference between vandamál and vandi?

• vandamál: “problem, issue” (very common, neutral).
• vandi: “difficulty, predicament” (often a bit more about a troubling situation). Examples:
• Ég skil vandamálið. = I understand the problem (issue).
• Ég skil vandann. = I understand the difficulty.
  Note: vandi (masc.) definite forms: nominative vandinn, accusative vandann.

Any pitfalls with the verb skilja?

Yes:

• Besides “understand,” skilja also means “separate” and, with við, “to divorce” (að skilja við).
• With eftir, skilja eftir = “leave (something) behind.” Context makes the meaning clear, so be careful with particles.

How do I add an adjective: “I understand the big problem”?

Use the weak (definite) form of the adjective and keep the suffixed article on the noun:

• Ég skil stóra vandamálið. = I understand the big problem. (You don’t normally use a separate article like English “the.”)

Why is Ég written with é, and is it always capitalized?

• é is its own vowel letter in Icelandic, pronounced roughly “yeh.”
• Ég is capitalized here because it starts the sentence. Unlike English “I,” ég is not capitalized in the middle of a sentence.

How would I say “I realize/come to understand the problem” using another verb?

Use the reflexive construction að átta sig á (“to realize, grasp”), which takes the dative:

• Ég átta mig á vandamálinu. = I realize the problem / I come to understand the problem.
  Note the dative vandamálinu after á.