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Breakdown of Starfsmennirnir undirrituðu samninginn í dag.
í dag
today
starfsmaðurinn
the employee
undirrita
to sign
samningurinn
the contract
Questions & Answers about Starfsmennirnir undirrituðu samninginn í dag.
Which word is the subject, and how can I tell?
The subject is Starfsmennirnir (“the employees”). It’s nominative plural and the verb undirrituðu is 3rd person plural, agreeing with it. The direct object is samninginn (accusative, definite), and í dag is a time adverbial.
What does the ending on starfsmennirnir mean?
It’s the definite article in the nominative plural. Indefinite plural is starfsmenn (“employees”); add the definite ending and you get starfsmennirnir (“the employees”). In Icelandic, the definite article is usually a suffix.
How do we get from starfsmaður to starfsmennirnir?
- Base noun: starfsmaður (“employee”; literally “work-person”).
- Irregular plural: starfsmenn (“employees”).
- Definite nominative plural: starfsmennirnir (“the employees”). Note the irregular change maður → menn.
What tense and person is undirrituðu, and what’s the infinitive?
undirrituðu is 3rd person plural past (preterite) of að undirrita (“to sign”). Mini-paradigm:
- Present: (þeir) undirrita
- Past: (ég) undirritaði, (þeir) undirrituðu
- Past participle: undirritað
Why is samninginn in that form?
samninginn is accusative singular definite of samningur (“contract”). As the direct object of undirrita, it takes the accusative, and the definite article -inn is suffixed: samningur → samning → samninginn. The double nn comes from adding the article.
Could I say it without definites?
Yes: Starfsmenn undirrituðu samning í dag. (“Employees signed a contract today.”)
What case does í take in í dag, and why not daginn?
In time expressions, í takes the accusative to mark a point in time, hence í dag (“today”). Í daginn literally means “in the day” and isn’t used for “today.”
Can I change the word order?
Yes. Icelandic is verb-second (V2). You can front another element and keep the finite verb second:
- Í dag undirrituðu starfsmennirnir samninginn.
- Samninginn undirrituðu starfsmennirnir í dag. The meaning is the same; the focus shifts.
Is there a difference between undirrita and skrifa undir?
Both mean “to sign.”
- undirrita is more formal/bookish.
- skrifa undir is more colloquial (“write under”). Your sentence could also be: Starfsmennirnir skrifuðu undir samninginn í dag.
How would I say “The contract was signed today”?
Use the passive: Samningurinn var undirritaður í dag. (Participial form undirritaður agrees with masculine singular.)
Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?
- ð in undirrituðu is like English “th” in “this.”
- í in í dag is a long “ee.”
- Primary stress is on the first syllable of each word: STARFSmennirnir, UNDIRrituðu, SAMninginn.
Where does negation go?
After the finite verb: Starfsmennirnir undirrituðu ekki samninginn í dag.
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