Ég fer ekki út, nema veðrið sé gott.

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Breakdown of Ég fer ekki út, nema veðrið sé gott.

• vera: to be
• góður: good
• ekki: not

Questions & Answers about Ég fer ekki út, nema veðrið sé gott.

Why is it sé and not er after nema?

Because nema here means “unless,” which introduces a hypothetical or non-factual condition. In Icelandic, that calls for the subjunctive mood (viðtengingarháttur), so you use sé (subjunctive) instead of er (indicative). If nema means “except (that)” and states a known fact, the indicative is possible. Compare:

• Hypothetical “unless”: Ég fer ekki út, nema veðrið sé gott. (correct)
• Factual “except that”: Allir komu, nema Jón var veikur. (“except that Jón was sick”)

What form is sé, and how do I conjugate it?

Sé is the present subjunctive of vera (to be), 3rd person singular. Present subjunctive of vera:

• ég sé, þú sért, hann/hún/það sé, við séum, þið séuð, þeir/þær/þau séu For comparison, present indicative:
• ég er, þú ert, hann/hún/það er, við erum, þið eruð, þeir/þær/þau eru

Can I say “Ég fer ekki út, nema veðrið er gott”?

Not when you mean “unless.” Careful speakers use the subjunctive sé after nema in this conditional sense. Using er will sound off. Stick to nema veðrið sé gott for “unless the weather is good.”

What exactly does nema mean, and are there alternatives?