Eftir hugleiðslu líður henni frjáls og róleg allan daginn.

After meditation she feels free and calm all day.

Breakdown of Eftir hugleiðslu líður henni frjáls og róleg allan daginn.

• dagurinn: the day
• hún: she
• og: and
• eftir: after

Questions & Answers about Eftir hugleiðslu líður henni frjáls og róleg allan daginn.

Why is it “líður henni” and not “hún líður”?

In Icelandic, the verb að líða has a special pattern when it means “to feel”:

• Henni líður frjáls og róleg.
  Literally: “To her feels free and calm.” → She feels free and calm.

Here, henni is in the dative case and functions as the experiencer of the feeling. Many “feeling” or “experiencer” verbs in Icelandic take the person in the dative:

• Mér líður vel. – I feel good.
• Honum líður illa. – He feels bad.

If you say “hún líður”, that normally means “she passes / she elapses”, the same use as in:

• Tíminn líður hratt. – Time passes quickly.

So for “she feels…”, you must say “Henni líður …”, not “Hún líður …”.

Why is the word order “Eftir hugleiðslu líður henni …”? Could I say “Eftir hugleiðslu henni líður …”?

Icelandic main clauses follow a verb-second (V2) rule: the finite verb (here líður) usually comes second in the sentence, no matter what comes first.

In your sentence:

1. Eftir hugleiðslu – fronted time phrase (position 1)
2. líður – finite verb (position 2)
3. henni frjáls og róleg allan daginn – rest of the clause