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Endurgreiðslan kemur venjulega innan viku.

Endurgreiðslan kemur venjulega innan viku.
The refund usually comes within a week.
FromLesson 33inHardcore Icelandic
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Breakdown of Endurgreiðslan kemur venjulega innan viku.

koma
to come
vikan
the week
venjulega
usually
endurgreiðslan
the refund
innan
within

Questions & Answers about Endurgreiðslan kemur venjulega innan viku.

Why is it Endurgreiðslan with -in at the end?

The -in is the Icelandic definite article attached to the noun.

  • endurgreiðsla = a refund / reimbursement
  • endurgreiðslan = the refund
    Icelandic usually expresses the by adding an ending (a suffix), not by using a separate word like the.
What case is Endurgreiðslan in, and how can I tell?
It’s nominative, because it’s the subject of the sentence (the thing doing the verb kemur). In Icelandic, the subject is often nominative (though there are exceptions with some verbs, but not here).
What does kemur literally mean here, and why use “come” for a refund?
koma literally means to come. Icelandic often uses “come” in the sense of arrive / be received / go through. So Endurgreiðslan kemur... is like The refund comes/arrives..., i.e., you receive it or it is processed and reaches you.
What tense is kemur, and what is the infinitive?
  • Infinitive: koma (to come)
  • kemur is present tense, 3rd person singular (“he/she/it comes”).
    Even when English would use “will” (“will arrive”), Icelandic often uses the present for general expectations or typical timing.
Why is the word order Endurgreiðslan kemur venjulega... and not something else?

This is the most neutral Icelandic main-clause order:
Subject + Verb + Adverbials
So: Endurgreiðslan (subject) + kemur (verb) + venjulega (adverb) + innan viku (time phrase).
You can move adverbials for emphasis, but this version is straightforward and common.

Where does venjulega normally go in a sentence?

Venjulega (“usually”) commonly appears after the finite verb in a simple main clause, as it does here: kemur venjulega.
It can also appear at the beginning for emphasis: Venjulega kemur endurgreiðslan innan viku. (Then the verb still stays second.)

What does innan mean, and what case does it require?
Innan means within (inside a time limit). It typically governs the genitive case.
Why is it innan viku and not innan vika or innan vikunar?

Because innan takes the genitive, and vika (week) has the genitive singular viku.
Also, you usually don’t use the definite form here unless you mean a specific known week.

  • innan viku = within a week / within one week
  • innan vikunnar = within the week (a specific week)
Is viku singular or plural here? Does it mean “within a week” or “within one week”?

It’s singular genitive. In practice, innan viku is understood as within a week (≈ within one week).
If you want to be extra explicit about “one,” you can say innan einnar viku (“within one week”), using einnar (genitive of ein).

How would I say “within a week” vs “in a week” (after a week) in Icelandic?
  • innan viku = within a week (no later than one week)
  • eftir viku = after a week (once a week has passed)
  • í viku often means for a week (duration), depending on context
How do I pronounce Endurgreiðslan kemur venjulega innan viku (roughly)?

A rough guide (not perfect IPA):

  • Endurgreiðslan: EN-dur-grayth-lan (with ei like “ay”; ð is a soft “th” sound)
  • kemur: KEH-mur
  • venjulega: VEN-yuh-leh-ga (the j is like English y)
  • innan: IN-nan
  • viku: VIH-ku
    Stress is usually on the first syllable: EN-dur..., KE-mur, VEN-ju..., IN-nan, VI-ku.
Are endurgreiðsla and endurgreiðslan used for both “refund” and “reimbursement”?
Yes, endurgreiðsla is commonly used for both, depending on context (refund from a store, reimbursement from an employer, partial repayment, etc.). Context usually makes it clear, but Icelandic may also use more specific terms in certain fields.

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