……
Breakdown of Stelpan er veik en hún kemur samt.
vera
to be
hún
she
koma
to come
en
but
samt
anyway
stelpan
the girl
veikur
sick
Questions & Answers about Stelpan er veik en hún kemur samt.
Why is it stelpan and not stelpa?
Because Icelandic marks definiteness with a suffix on the noun. Stelpa = “a girl” (indefinite). Stelpan = “the girl” (definite). For many feminine nouns ending in -a, you add -n and the final -a + -n becomes -an: stelpa → stelpan.
What case is stelpan in, and what about veik?
Stelpan is nominative singular because it’s the subject. The predicate adjective veik also appears in the nominative (predicative adjectives agree with the subject in case, gender, and number after “to be”).
Why is the adjective veik (feminine) and not veikur/veikt/veika?
Agreement:
- Masculine nominative singular: veikur
- Feminine nominative singular: veik
- Neuter nominative singular: veikt
In predicative position (after “to be”), Icelandic uses the strong forms, so with a feminine subject you get veik. The weak form veika shows up mainly in attributive definite contexts (e.g., hin veika stelpa “the sick girl”), not after “to be.”
Why have both en and samt—doesn’t en already mean “but”?
En is a coordinating conjunction meaning “but.” Samt is an adverb meaning “nevertheless/anyway.” Using both is normal: en links the clauses, and samt adds concessive emphasis. You could also say:
- Stelpan er veik, en hún kemur. (less emphatic)
- Stelpan er veik; hún kemur samt. (no conjunction, adverb carries the concession)
Where can I put samt in the sentence?
The default neutral spot is after the finite verb: Hún kemur samt. Other options:
- Samt kemur hún. (fronting for emphasis: “Still, she comes.”)
- Avoid: Hún samt kemur (uncommon/marked). With negation, the usual order is: Hún kemur samt ekki.
Do I need a comma before en?
Not under the modern Icelandic comma system; your sentence without a comma is perfectly fine: Stelpan er veik en hún kemur samt. In older or more punctuated styles, a comma before en is common when joining two main clauses, and you might see: … veik, en hún … Both are encountered; modern usage often omits it.
Why is it er with hún? What are the present forms of “to be” (vera)?
Vera (to be), present:
- ég er
- þú ert
- hann/hún/það er
- við erum
- þið eruð
- þeir/þær/þau eru
Why is it kemur and not koma? How does koma conjugate in the present?
Kemur is 3rd person singular. Present of koma (to come):
- ég kem
- þú kemur
- hann/hún/það kemur
- við komum
- þið komið
- þeir/þær/þau koma
Does hún kemur mean “she is coming” or “she will come”?
It can mean both, depending on context. Icelandic present covers simple, progressive, and near-future readings:
- Ongoing/near: Hún kemur samt. = “She’s coming/She will come anyway.”
- To emphasize “in progress,” use vera + að: Hún er að koma.
- To mark a clear future, you can use munu: Hún mun samt koma.
Can I drop the pronoun hún in the second clause since the referent is obvious?
No. Icelandic is not a pro-drop language in ordinary statements. You need the explicit subject: … en hún kemur samt.
Does hún agree with natural or grammatical gender?
It aligns with the noun’s grammatical gender, which usually matches natural gender for people. Stelpa/stelpan is grammatically feminine, so the pronoun is hún. For inanimates, pronouns still follow grammatical gender: bókin (f.) → hún, húsið (n.) → það.
Could I use stúlkan instead of stelpan?
Yes. Stúlka/stúlkan also means “girl,” but it’s more formal/bookish. Stelpa/stelpan is more colloquial and more common in everyday speech. The grammar in your sentence wouldn’t change.
How would the sentence change with a masculine or neuter subject?
- Masculine: Drengurinn er veikur en hann kemur samt. (“boy”)
- Neuter: Barnið er veikt en það kemur samt. (“child”)
Note the adjective agreement (veikur/veikt) and the pronouns (hann/það).
Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky parts?
- stelpan l is devoiced before p.
- er [ɛr]
- veik like “ay” in “say.”
- en [ɛn]
- hún “oo.”
- kemur before e is the soft “kj”-sound.
- samt is devoiced before t.
These are rough guides; actual realization varies slightly by speaker.
Does samt ever mean “together”?
No. Samt means “nevertheless/anyway.” “Together” is saman (e.g., Þau koma saman = “They come together”).
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Icelandic grammar?”
Icelandic grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning IcelandicMaster Icelandic — from Stelpan er veik en hún kemur samt to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions