Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Ég flýti mér ekki, þrátt fyrir myrkrið.

Because að flýta sér is a reflexive verb meaning “to hurry (oneself).” In Icelandic, many verbs express this meaning with a reflexive pronoun. So you must say Ég flýti mér (“I hurry myself”). Without the pronoun, að flýta means “to speed up/expedite (something).”

Why is the pronoun dative (mér) and not accusative (mig)?

The verb phrase að flýta sér lexically requires the dative case. Many Icelandic pronominal verbs fix the case of their reflexive complement. Paradigm:

I: Ég flýti mér
You (sg): Þú flýtir þér
He/She/It: Hann/Hún/Það flýtir sér
We: Við flýtum okkur
You (pl): Þið flýtið ykkur
They: Þeir/Þær/Þau flýta sér

Can I omit the pronoun and say “Ég flýti ekki”?

No, not if you mean “I’m not hurrying.” Without the pronoun, flýta needs an object (“to expedite something”): e.g., Ég flýti verkinu (“I’m expediting the work”). To mean “hurry,” keep the reflexive: Ég flýti mér ekki.

Why does ekki come after mér? Is “Ég flýti ekki mér” wrong?

Yes, “Ég flýti ekki mér” is unidiomatic. In neutral word order, sentence adverbs like ekki follow the finite verb, but weak object pronouns typically come before such adverbs. Hence: Ég flýti mér ekki, just like Ég sé hann ekki (“I don’t see him”) but Ég sé ekki manninn (“I don’t see the man” – full noun phrase after ekki).

Is “Ég er ekki að flýta mér” also correct? What’s the difference?

Yes. Both are natural:

Ég flýti mér ekki can describe a present situation (“I’m not hurrying”) or a general habit.
Ég er ekki að flýta mér highlights the ongoing action right now (“I’m not in the process of hurrying”). In everyday speech, both can refer to the present situation; the “vera að” form is more explicitly progressive.

What case does þrátt fyrir take?

Þrátt fyrir governs the accusative. That’s why you get þrátt fyrir myrkrið. Note that myrkrið (definite neuter) looks the same in nominative and accusative; here it’s accusative because of the preposition. The fixed phrase þrátt fyrir always takes accusative, unlike standalone fyrir, which can alternate by meaning (motion vs. location).

Why is it the definite form myrkrið? Could I say “þrátt fyrir myrkur”?

You’ll most often see the definite: þrátt fyrir myrkrið (“despite the darkness” = the particular darkness at hand). The bare mass noun is also possible in some contexts, but the idiomatic indefinite choice with “darkness” is more often in other prepositional phrases (e.g., í myrkri, “in darkness”). In this sentence, the definite feels most natural.

Can I front the prepositional phrase?

Yes. Þrátt fyrir myrkrið flýti ég mér ekki. Icelandic is verb-second (V2), so when you front þrátt fyrir myrkrið, the finite verb (flýti) still comes second, followed by the subject (ég), then the pronoun (mér), then ekki.

Is the comma before “þrátt fyrir myrkrið” required?

No. It’s a stylistic pause. Many writers would omit it: Ég flýti mér ekki þrátt fyrir myrkrið. Using the comma is acceptable but not mandatory.

How do I say this with a clause instead of a noun phrase (“despite that it’s dark”)?

Use either:

Þrátt fyrir að það sé myrkur, (….) (“despite that it is dark”), or
Þótt það sé myrkur, (….) (“although it is dark”). Both are common; þótt introduces a subordinate clause directly, while þrátt fyrir needs að to link to a clause. With present-time meaning, you’ll often see the subjunctive sé; in past-time contexts, væri.

How would I form the yes–no question “Am I not hurrying, despite the darkness?”

Flýti ég mér ekki, þrátt fyrir myrkrið? Move the finite verb (flýti) to first position, keep the pronoun before ekki.

Any quick pronunciation tips for the words here?

Ég: initial sound like English “y,” final g is a soft fricative; roughly “yeh(g).”
flýti: ý is a long “ee” sound; roughly “FLEE-tee.”
mér: é like “yeh”; roughly “myer.”
ekki: the kk has a pre-aspirated sound; roughly “EH-hki.”
þrátt: þ is the “th” in “thin”; roughly “thrautt.”
fyrir: y like short “i”; roughly “FIH-rir.”
myrkrið: y like short “i,” final ð like “th” in “this”; roughly “MIRK-rith.”

Are there common synonyms for “að flýta sér” (to hurry)?

Yes:

að drífa sig (very common, a bit more colloquial): e.g., Ég dríf mig ekki, þrátt fyrir myrkrið. Note it takes the accusative pronoun (mig/þig/sig).
að hraða sér (more formal/literary) also uses dative: Ég hraða mér.