Question 1

Why is it Hún skráir sig and not just Hún skráir?

Accepted Answer

Because skrá sig is the reflexive construction meaning “to sign up/register oneself.” Without sig, skrá means “to register (something/someone else).” So:
- Hún skráir sig = She registers herself (signs up).
- Hún skráir barnið = She registers the child.
Dropping sig in your sentence would change the meaning or make it incomplete.

Question 2

Why is it sig and not hana?

Accepted Answer

Sig is the 3rd‑person reflexive object pronoun; it refers back to the subject of the clause (here, hún). Hana means “her” (some other woman), not the subject herself.
- Hún skráir sig = She registers herself.
- Hún skráir hana = She registers her (another woman).

Question 3

What case is sig in, and what happens in other persons?

Accepted Answer

Sig is accusative reflexive (3rd person). Other persons use the ordinary object pronouns, not sig:
- 1st sg: Ég skrái mig.
- 2nd sg: Þú skráir þig.
- 3rd sg: Hún skráir sig.
- 1st pl: Við skráum okkur.
- 2nd pl: Þið skráið ykkur.
- 3rd pl: Þau skrá sig.
Note: Some Icelandic verbs take dative objects; then the 3rd‑person reflexive would be sér (dative). But skrá takes the accusative, so it’s sig.

Question 4

What case does með take here, and why are kennitölu and símanúmeri in those forms?

Accepted Answer

Með governs either accusative or dative, depending on meaning. For “with, using/by means of” (instrument), it takes the dative. Hence:
- með kennitölu (dative sg of kennitala)
- með símanúmeri (dative sg of símanúmer)
Contrast:
- Accusative (bringing/taking along): Hún fór með barnið.
- Dative (being with/using): Hún er með barninu. / Hún skar brauðið með hníf (instrument).

Question 5

Why does kennitala become kennitölu?

Accepted Answer

That’s the u‑umlaut (u‑hljóðvarp): an ending with -u triggers a vowel change in the stem, turning a → ö in many words. So:
- Nom sg: kennitala
- Dat sg: kennitölu
This pattern is common: the -u ending in the dative singular causes the vowel shift.

Question 6

What exactly is símanúmeri? What’s the dictionary form?

Accepted Answer

Símanúmeri is the dative singular of the neuter noun símanúmer (“phone number”). Key forms:
- Nom/Acc sg: símanúmer
- Dat sg: símanúmeri
- Gen sg: símanúmers
- Dat pl: símanúmerum

Question 7

Where should sig go in the sentence? Is Hún skráir ekki sig OK?

Accepted Answer

Object pronouns normally come right after the finite verb and before sentential negation/adverbs. So:
- Correct: Hún skráir sig ekki.
- Sounds wrong/unidiomatic: Hún skráir ekki sig.
With other adverbs, the pronoun still stays early: Hún skráir sig strax á vefinn.

Question 8

How do I make it explicit that it’s her own ID number and phone number?

Accepted Answer

Use the reflexive possessive sinn/sína/sitt, which agrees with the possessed noun:
- Hún skráir sig með sinni kennitölu og sínu símanúmeri.
Here sinni = dat sg feminine (for kennitölu), and sínu = dat sg neuter (for símanúmeri).
If you use hennar (“her”), it can suggest someone else’s: með hennar kennitölu = with her (another woman’s) ID number.

Question 9

How would I say she registers someone else instead of herself?

Accepted Answer

Use a non‑reflexive object:
- Hún skráir hana. = She registers her (another woman).
- Hún skráir Jón. = She registers Jón.
Reflexive vs non‑reflexive is the key difference in meaning.

Question 10

What’s the verb’s dictionary form and basic conjugation?

Accepted Answer

Dictionary form: að skrá (sig).
Present:
- ég skrái, þú skráir, hann/hún/það skráir, við skráum, þið skráið, þeir/þau skrá
Past:
- ég skráði, þú skráðir, hann/hún/það skráði, við skráðum, þið skráðuð, þeir/þau skráðu
Past participle: skráð (e.g., Hún er skráð = She is registered).

Question 11

Could I say “by” doing something instead of “with” a number?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Use með því að + infinitive for “by (doing) …”:
- Hún skráir sig með því að slá inn kennitöluna og símanúmerið.
That explicitly means “by entering” the ID and phone number. Your original with með + dative expresses the instruments (“using” them).

Question 12

Why is there no “a/an” before kennitölu and símanúmeri?

Accepted Answer

Icelandic has no indefinite article. Bare nouns cover “a/an.” If you need “the,” you attach a definite ending:
- með kennitölunni (the ID number), með símanúmerinu (the phone number).

Question 13

Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky letters here?

Accepted Answer

- ú in Hún: long “oo” (as in “food”).
- á in skráir: diphthong like “ow” in “cow.”
- ð in með: voiced “th” (as in “this”); before a voiceless sound (like the k in kenn-), many speakers devoice it toward “th” in “thing.”
- g in sig: a soft, fricative “gh” sound.
- ö in kennitölu: like the vowel in English “bird,” but rounded.
Stress is on the first syllable of each word: Hún SKRÁ‑ir sig MEÐ KEN‑ni‑tö‑lu og SÍ‑ma‑nú‑me‑ri.

Question 14

What’s the difference between skrá sig, skrá sig inn, and skrá?

Accepted Answer

- skrá sig: to register/sign up.
- skrá sig inn: to log in/sign in.
- skrá (non‑reflexive): to register/record something or someone else; to enter data.

Question 15

Do both nouns after og have to be in the same case?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Coordination doesn’t change case: both must match what the preposition requires. Since með here takes dative, it’s:
- með kennitölu og símanúmeri (both dative).
Using mixed or nominative forms (e.g., með kennitölu og símanúmer) would be ungrammatical.

Hún skráir sig með kennitölu og símanúmeri.

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