Stundum er sonurinn sammála mér, en dóttirin er ósammála.

to be

Breakdown of Stundum er sonurinn sammála mér, en dóttirin er ósammála.

• stundum: sometimes
• en: but
• mér: me

Questions & Answers about Stundum er sonurinn sammála mér, en dóttirin er ósammála.

I know stundum means sometimes, but why does it come at the beginning, and why does the verb er come before sonurinn?

In Icelandic main clauses there is a verb‑second (V2) word order rule:

• The finite verb (here er) must be in second position in the sentence.
• Only one element can come before it (a subject, an adverb, an object, etc.).

In your sentence:

1. Stundum (sometimes) – first element
2. er (is) – verb, must come second
3. sonurinn sammála mér – the rest of the clause

So you get:

• Stundum er sonurinn sammála mér…
  Sometimes is the son in‑agreement with me… (literally)

If you start with the subject instead, the verb still stays second:

• Sonurinn er stundum sammála mér…
  The son is sometimes in agreement with me…

Both are correct; putting stundum first just emphasizes sometimes a bit more.

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What is the difference between sonur and sonurinn, and between dóttir and dóttirin?

Icelandic usually adds the definite article as a suffix to nouns instead of a separate word like the.

• sonur = son

• sonurinn = the son (