Hún skoðar nánar áður en hún borgar.

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Breakdown of Hún skoðar nánar áður en hún borgar.

• borga: to pay
• áður en: before
• skoða: to look at

Questions & Answers about Hún skoðar nánar áður en hún borgar.

What does the -ar ending on the verbs mean?

In skoðar and borgar, the ending -ar marks 3rd person singular present indicative of a weak verb.

• skoða (to examine): ég skoða, þú skoðar, hann/hún skoðar, við skoðum, þið skoðið, þeir skoða; past: skoðaði
• borga (to pay): ég borga, þú borgar, hann/hún borgar, við borgum, þið borgið, þeir borga; past: borgaði

Why is the subject repeated: hún … hún? Can I drop the second hún?

No, you can’t drop it here. Áður en introduces a finite subordinate clause, and Icelandic typically requires an explicit subject in such clauses. So you need áður en hún borgar, not áður en borgar. (In coordinated main clauses with og, a repeated subject can be left unspoken, but that does not apply to an áður en clause.)

Can the “before” clause come first, and what happens to word order?

Yes: Áður en hún borgar skoðar hún nánar. Icelandic main clauses are verb‑second (V2). When you front the subordinate clause, the finite verb of the main clause (skoðar) still comes in second position, so it precedes the subject (hún).