Sektin er hærri ef slysið er alvarlegt.

The fine is higher if the accident is serious.

Breakdown of Sektin er hærri ef slysið er alvarlegt.

• vera: to be
• ef: if
• slysið: the accident
• sektin: the fine
• hærri: higher
• alvarlegur: serious

Questions & Answers about Sektin er hærri ef slysið er alvarlegt.

What does the -in at the end of Sektin mean, and how is the definite article formed in Icelandic?

The ending -in on Sektin is the definite article, equivalent to “the fine” in English.

In Icelandic, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like the in English.

• Base form (indefinite): sekt = “a fine”
• Definite singular: sektin = “the fine”

Rough pattern (nominative singular):

• Most feminine nouns: add -in
  • bók → bókin (book → the book)
  • sekt → sektin (fine → the fine)
• Most masculine nouns: add -inn
  • stóll → stóllinn (chair → the chair)
• Most neuter nouns: add -ið
  • slys → slysið (accident → the accident)

So Sektin literally is “fine-the,” i.e. “the fine.”

Why is hærri used here? Is it a special form, and why not something like meira hár?

Hærri is the comparative form of the adjective hár (“high”). It works like “higher” in English.

• Positive: hár = high
• Comparative: hærri = higher
• Superlative: hæstur = highest

In Icelandic, most adjectives form the comparative with special endings or stem changes, not with a separate word like “more”:

• hár → hærri (high → higher)
• ódýr → ódýrari (cheap → cheaper)
• góður → betri (good → better, irregular)

You generally don’t say meira hár for “higher.” You use the comparative form hærri instead.

Also, because sektin is feminine singular nominative, the comparative must agree in gender/number/case:

• Feminine singular nominative comparative: hærri So: Sektin er hærri = “The fine is higher.”

What is the base form of slysið, and what does the -ið ending tell me?

The base (dictionary) form is slys, a neuter noun meaning “accident.”

The ending -ið is again the definite article for neuter singular in nominative/accusative:

• Indefinite: slys = an accident
• Definite: slysið = the accident

So:

• sekt (f.) → sektin (“the fine”)
• slys (n.) → slysið (“the accident”)

Both Sektin and slysið are definite nouns in this sentence: “the fine … the accident.”

Why does alvarlegt end in -t? What is it agreeing with?

Alvarlegt is the adjective alvarlegur (“serious”) in the neuter nominative singular form.

Adjectives in Icelandic agree with the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here the subject of the second clause is slysið:

• slysið = neuter, singular, nominative, definite

So the predicative adjective must match:

• Masculine: alvarlegur
• Feminine: alvarleg
• Neuter: alvarlegt

Because slysið is neuter, you must say:

• slysið er alvarlegt = “the accident is serious,” not slysið er alvarlegur / alvarleg.

The -t at the end is the typical marker for neuter singular in many adjectives.

Why is the word order “ef slysið er alvarlegt” and not “ef er slysið alvarlegt” like in German?

Icelandic does not move the verb to the end in the same way German does in subordinate clauses.

In main clauses, Icelandic is broadly verb‑second:

• Sektin er hærri. (The fine is higher.)

In subordinate clauses introduced by ef (“if”), the typical order is still:

• Subject – Verb – (other stuff)

So:

• ef slysið er alvarlegt
  
  • slysið = subject
  • er = verb
  • alvarlegt = predicate adjective

You do not say:

• ef er slysið alvarlegt (incorrect in normal Icelandic word order)

So the given word order is the normal, correct one for a conditional clause.

Can I put the ef‑clause first, and does the word order change if I do?

Yes, you can put the ef‑clause first, and the word order inside that clause does not change.

Both are correct:

1. Sektin er hærri ef slysið er alvarlegt.
2. Ef slysið er alvarlegt, er sektin hærri.

Notes:

• When the ef‑clause comes first, you normally add a comma before the main clause.
• The word order inside the ef‑clause stays slysið er, not er slysið.
• In the main clause after it, Icelandic often still keeps verb‑second, so:
  • … er sektin hærri, not … sektin er hærri after the comma.

What is the difference between ef and þegar? Could I use þegar here?

Both ef and þegar can be translated as “if/when” in English, but they are not interchangeable.

• ef = if (a condition, something that may or may not happen)
  • ef slysið er alvarlegt → “if the accident is serious”
• þegar = when (a time reference, something that does happen / is assumed to happen)
  • þegar slysið er alvarlegt → “when the accident is serious”

In this sentence we’re talking about a condition under which the fine is higher, so ef is the natural choice.

Using þegar would sound more like:

• “Whenever / at the time that the accident is serious, the fine is higher,”
  and suggests a time sequence rather than a legal condition. It’s not wrong in all contexts, but ef is clearly better for a rule or law like this.

Why is the present tense er (“is”) used instead of a future form like “will be”?

Icelandic very often uses the present tense to talk about:

• General truths
• Rules and laws
• Habitual situations
• Future events in “if/when” clauses

So:

• Sektin er hærri ef slysið er alvarlegt.
  Literally: “The fine is higher if the accident is serious.”

In English you might more naturally say:

• “The fine is higher if the accident is serious.” (rule)
  or
• “The fine will be higher if the accident is serious.” (talking about a specific future case)

Icelandic doesn’t need a separate future tense here; the present tense er covers both the general rule and future situations in conditionals. Context handles the time reference.

Why are Sektin and slysið both definite (“the fine”, “the accident”) instead of indefinite?

Using the definite forms makes sense because we’re talking about:

• the specific fine defined by law or regulation
• the particular accident in a given case

So:

• Sektin er hærri… = “The fine is higher…”
  → refers to the legally specified fine in that situation.
• ef slysið er alvarlegt = “if the accident is serious”
  → refers to the specific accident we’re considering.

You could talk more generally, e.g.:

• Fínar eru hærri við alvarleg slys.
  (“Fines are higher in serious accidents.” – here both are plural/indefinite.)

But in your sentence, a particular fine and a particular accident are in view, hence the definite articles -in and -ið.

Why is hærri feminine, but alvarlegt neuter? Aren’t they both just describing something?

They describe different nouns, which have different genders:

1. Sektin er hærri

   • sektin = feminine
   • So the comparative adjective must be feminine:
     • feminine singular nominative: hærri

2. slysið er alvarlegt

   • slysið = neuter
   • So the adjective must be neuter:
     • neuter singular nominative: alvarlegt

In Icelandic, adjectives in predicate position (after vera “to be”) still agree with the subject in gender, number, and case, even though they are not right in front of the noun.

So:

• Sektin er hærri (feminine form).
• Slysið er alvarlegt (neuter form).

How should I pronounce tricky parts like sektin, hærri, slysið, and alvarlegt?

Very roughly, in an English-friendly way:

• sektin

  • The kt is often pronounced like a German “ch” in Bach plus a t ([xt]).
  • Approx.: “SEKH-tin” (with a harsher “kh” sound).

• hærri

  • æ is like the vowel in “eye”.
  • The rr is a rolled or tapped r.
  • Approx.: “HYE-rri” (with a trilled r).

• slysið

  • y is essentially the same sound as i in modern Icelandic.
  • ð is a soft, voiced sound, like the “th” in “breathe”, but often very light at the end.
  • Approx.: “SLI-si(th)”, with a soft final “th”.

• alvarlegt

  • g before t often becomes part of a “ch”‑like sound.
  • -legt is roughly “-lekt”, with a harsh kh in more careful speech.
  • Approx.: “AL-var-lekt”.

These are approximations, but they’ll get you closer to natural Icelandic pronunciation.