Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Ég athuga veðrið áður en ég fer út.

Ég: [jɛːɣ] — roughly “YEH-gh” (the final sound is a soft, voiced g, like a gentle gh).
athuga: [ˈaːtʰʏɣa] — “AH-too-ga”; the t is strongly aspirated (t with a puff of air), u like in “put,” g as soft gh.
veðrið: [ˈvɛðrɪð] — “VEH-th-rith”; ð is the th in “this,” r is tapped/trilled.
áður: [ˈauːðʏr] — “OW-thur” (ow as in “cow,” long).
en: [ɛn] — “en.”
ég: same as above.
fer: [fɛr] — “fehr,” with a tapped/trilled r.
út: [uːt] — “oot,” long oo. Tip: Icelandic stress is almost always on the first syllable of a word.

What are the parts of speech and the literal roles of each word?

Ég: pronoun, 1st person singular nominative (subject) = “I.”
athuga: verb, 1st person singular present indicative of “to check/examine.”
veðrið: noun + definite suffix (neuter) = “the weather,” functioning as the direct object.
áður en: two-word subordinator meaning “before (that).”
ég: repeated subject in the subordinate clause.
fer: 1st person singular present indicative of fara (“to go”).
út: directional adverb “out.”

Why is veðrið definite instead of just veður?

Icelandic typically uses the definite form with unique, contextually known things like the weather. The idiomatic way is athuga veðrið (“check the weather”). Using bare veður here sounds unusual in standard usage.

What case is veðrið in, and why?

Accusative, because it’s the direct object of athuga. For neuter nouns, nominative and accusative look the same, so the form veðrið (definite) covers both; here it functions as accusative.

How do athuga and fara conjugate in the present? Which forms are used here?

athuga (regular):
- ég athuga, þú athugar, hann/hún/það athugar, við athugum, þið athugið, þeir/þær/þau athuga.
- In the sentence: ég athuga.
fara (irregular):
- ég fer, þú ferð, hann/hún/það fer, við förum, þið farið, þeir/þær/þau fara.
- In the sentence: ég fer.

Is áður en one unit meaning “before”? When do I use it vs fyrir?

áður en is a fixed two-word linker used before a full clause: áður en ég fer út (“before I go out”).
Use fyrir with a noun/time expression: fyrir klukkan átta (“before eight o’clock”).
Don’t say áður en klukkan átta; instead make it a clause if you want áður en: áður en klukkan slår átta (“before the clock strikes eight”).

Can I put the “before”-clause first?

Yes: Áður en ég fer út, athuga ég veðrið. Note that Icelandic main clauses are verb-second, so when the subordinate clause comes first, the finite verb (athuga) still comes before the subject (ég) in the main clause.

Do I have to repeat ég in the second clause? Could I drop it?

You must repeat it. Icelandic isn’t a pro-drop language in standard usage, so áður en ég fer út is required; áður en fer út sounds wrong.

Where does negation go?

In the main clause: Ég athuga ekki veðrið áður en ég fer út. (ekki follows the finite verb within its clause)
In the subordinate clause, negate that clause’s verb: Ég athuga veðrið áður en ég fer ekki út (“…before I don’t go out”) is grammatical but usually nonsensical. More natural would be: Ég fer ekki út fyrr en ég hef athugað veðrið (“I don’t go out until I have checked the weather”).

What’s the difference between út, úti, út í, and út úr?

út = motion outward: fara út (“go out”).
úti = location outside: Ég er úti (“I am outside”).
út í
- accusative = motion “out into/to”: fara út í búðina (“go out to the store”).
út úr
- dative = motion “out of [enclosed place]”: fara út úr húsinu (“go out of the house”).

Could I leave out út and just say Ég fer?

You can, but it changes the nuance. Ég fer means “I’m leaving/going,” without saying where. Ég fer út specifically means “I go outside.”

Are there more natural/colloquial ways to say “check the weather”?

Yes, depending on tone:

kíkja á veðrið (informal: “have a quick look at the weather”)
skoða veðurspána (“look at the weather forecast”)
tékka á veðrinu (very informal, with the loan verb “tékka á”)

How would I say it in the past or about the future?

Past: Ég athugaði veðrið áður en ég fór út.
Future meaning (Icelandic has no dedicated future tense): use present or an auxiliary:
- Habitual/near future: Ég athuga veðrið áður en ég fer út.
- Intention: Ég ætla að athuga veðrið áður en ég fer út.

Any traps with áður en vs fyrr en?

áður en = “before”: Ég athuga veðrið áður en ég fer út.
(ekki) fyrr en = “not before / not until”: Ég fer ekki út fyrr en ég hef athugað veðrið. Don’t mix them up.

Does the th in athuga sound like English “th”?

No. In athuga, t + h is a cluster pronounced as a strongly aspirated t, not as English th. The th-sounds in Icelandic are written with the special letters þ (voiceless, like “thin”) and ð (voiced, like “this”).