Hann lendir í slysi.

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Breakdown of Hann lendir í slysi.

• í: in
• lenda: to end up
• slysið: the accident

Questions & Answers about Hann lendir í slysi.

What does Hann lendir í slysi literally mean? Why is the verb lendir used for “has an accident”?

Literally, Hann lendir í slysi is closer to “He ends up in an accident” or “He lands in an accident.”

• lenda = to land, to end up, to run into / get into (a situation)
• í = in / into
• slysi = (in) an accident

In Icelandic, lenda í + dative is a common pattern meaning “to get into / run into (some situation)”:

• lenda í slysi – get into an accident
• lenda í vandræðum – get into trouble
• lenda í erfiðleikum – get into difficulties

So Hann lendir í slysi is the idiomatic way to say “He has an accident / He gets into an accident.”

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What exactly does slysi mean, and why isn’t it just slys here?