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Læknirinn skrifar lyfseðil, en hún vill lesa hann áður en hún fer í apótekið.

Læknirinn skrifar lyfseðil, en hún vill lesa hann áður en hún fer í apótekið.
The doctor writes a prescription, but she wants to read it before she goes to the pharmacy.
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Questions & Answers about Læknirinn skrifar lyfseðil, en hún vill lesa hann áður en hún fer í apótekið.

What does -inn in Læknirinn mean?

-inn is the suffixed definite article, so læknirinn means the doctor. Icelandic usually attaches the to the end of the noun:

  • læknir = (a) doctor
  • læknirinn = the doctor
Why is it lyfseðil and not lyfseðill?

Because lyfseðill (a prescription) is the dictionary form (nominative), but here it’s the direct object of skrifar (writes), so it takes the accusative singular:

  • lyfseðill (nom. sg.)
  • lyfseðil (acc. sg.)
Do you usually say skrifa lyfseðil or is something missing like skrifa út?

Skrifa lyfseðil is grammatical and understandable: write a prescription. Very commonly you’ll also hear:

  • skrifa út lyfseðil = prescribe / write out a prescription
    Both are used; út just makes it feel more idiomatic/explicit.
Why does the sentence switch from Læknirinn to hún (she)?

The second clause has its own subject: en hún vill... = but she wants...
This hún could refer to: 1) a different person (often the patient), or
2) the same person if the doctor is a woman.

Even if the noun læknirinn is grammatically masculine, Icelandic can still use hún for a female doctor because pronouns can follow the person’s real gender.

What is en doing here, and why is there a comma before it?

en means but and connects two main clauses. Icelandic normally uses a comma before en when it joins independent clauses, just like English often does:

  • Læknirinn skrifar lyfseðil, en hún vill...
Why is it hann (him/it) for the prescription?

Because lyfseðill is a masculine noun, and Icelandic pronouns must match the noun’s grammatical gender. So hann here means it (the prescription), not “him” in the human sense.

Why is it specifically hann and not han?

Because the verb lesa (to read) takes a direct object in the accusative, and hann is accusative masculine singular.

Quick case reminder for this pronoun:

  • hann = nominative (he / it)
  • hann = accusative (him / it)
  • honum = dative (to him / to it)
  • hans = genitive (his / its)

(han is not the standard accusative form; you want hann here.)

How does áður en work grammatically?

áður en means before and introduces a subordinate time clause:

  • ... áður en hún fer í apótekið = ... before she goes to the pharmacy

In subordinate clauses, Icelandic does not use the main-clause “verb-second” pattern as a rule you have to force; you can generally keep normal subject–verb order like hún fer.

Why is fer (present tense) used if it’s about the future?

Icelandic often uses the present tense for scheduled/expected future actions, especially in time clauses with words like áður en:

  • áður en hún fer... = before she goes... (future meaning)

English does something similar: you say before she goes, not before she will go.

Why is it í apótekið (accusative) and not something like í apótekinu?

With í:

  • í + accusative often indicates movement into/toward a place
  • í + dative often indicates location inside a place

So:

  • (að) fara í apótekið = to go to/into the pharmacy (motion → accusative)
  • vera í apótekinu = to be in the pharmacy (location → dative)
What does the ending -ið in apótekið mean?

-ið is the definite article for many neuter singular nouns. So:

  • apótek = a pharmacy
  • apótekið = the pharmacy
Is it normal to repeat hún twice: hún vill... áður en hún fer...?

Yes. Icelandic normally requires an explicit subject in both clauses. You can’t usually drop hún the way English might sometimes allow in informal style. The repetition is completely natural:

  • hún vill lesa hann áður en hún fer...