Log inSign up

Ef endurgreiðslan kemur ekki, þá tilkynni ég það strax.

Ef endurgreiðslan kemur ekki, þá tilkynni ég það strax.
If the refund doesn’t come, then I report it immediately.

Breakdown of Ef endurgreiðslan kemur ekki, þá tilkynni ég það strax.

ég
I
það
it
ekki
not
koma
to come
strax
immediately
ef
if
þá
then
endurgreiðslan
the refund
tilkynna
to report
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Icelandic now

Questions & Answers about Ef endurgreiðslan kemur ekki, þá tilkynni ég það strax.

Why is there a comma, and why is þá used after it?

The comma separates the ef-clause (a subordinate condition clause) from the main clause:

  • Ef endurgreiðslan kemur ekki, = If the refund doesn’t come,
  • þá tilkynni ég það strax. = main clause

þá means something like then / in that case. It’s optional, but common for clarity or emphasis. With þá, the main clause feels a bit more explicitly “result-like”: If X happens, then I do Y.

Why is the word order … þá tilkynni ég … and not … þá ég tilkynni …?

Icelandic follows a strong V2 (verb-second) rule in main clauses: the finite verb typically comes in the second position.

In þá tilkynni ég það strax: 1) þá (position 1)
2) tilkynni (finite verb, position 2)
3) ég (subject)

So þá ég tilkynni would break the usual V2 pattern.

What would the sentence look like without þá?

You can drop þá:

  • Ef endurgreiðslan kemur ekki, tilkynni ég það strax.

Notice the word order: because the sentence starts with the ef-clause, the main clause typically has inversion (verb before subject): tilkynni ég.

So you commonly get either:

  • Ef … , tilkynni ég … (no þá, inversion) or
  • Ef … , þá tilkynni ég … (þá inserted, verb still second after þá)
Why are kemur and tilkynni in the present tense if this is about the future?

Icelandic often uses the present tense for future situations, especially in:

  • conditionals (ef …)
  • schedules/plans
  • near-future statements

So kemur and tilkynni are present forms, but the meaning is naturally future-oriented in context: If it doesn’t arrive (in the future), I’ll report/notify immediately.

If you want an explicit future auxiliary, you can use mun:

  • … þá mun ég tilkynna það strax. (more explicitly “will”)
What exactly is tilkynni—is it a special mood like subjunctive?

Here tilkynni is the 1st person singular present indicative of tilkynna (to notify/report/announce).

Many Icelandic verbs form the 1st person singular present with -i:

  • ég tilkynni
  • ég segi
  • ég heyri

So it’s not automatically “subjunctive” here; it’s a normal present-tense form used in a conditional main clause.

What does endurgreiðslan mean grammatically—why does it have -in/-an at the end?

endurgreiðslan is endurgreiðsla (refund / reimbursement) with the definite article suffix attached, meaning the refund.

Breakdown:

  • endurgreiðsla = a refund
  • endurgreiðslan = the refund (nominative singular, feminine)

It’s the subject of kemur (comes), so it’s in the nominative case.

Why is the negation ekki placed after the verb: kemur ekki?

In Icelandic, ekki usually comes after the finite verb in a simple clause:

  • Hún kemur ekki. = She isn’t coming.
  • Endurgreiðslan kemur ekki. = The refund isn’t coming.

Putting ekki before the verb is generally not the default in modern standard Icelandic (though you may see other negation patterns in special constructions or older/literary styles).

What does það refer to, and why is it there?

það is a pronoun meaning it/that, referring back to the situation just mentioned (the refund not arriving). It’s the direct object of tilkynna:

  • tilkynna eitthvað = to notify/report something

So tilkynni ég það is literally I report/notify it/that.

In natural English you might drop the object (I’ll notify [you]), but Icelandic often keeps það to point back to the whole situation, unless you specify a recipient:

  • … þá tilkynni ég það strax til þjónustuborðsins. = … then I report it immediately to the service desk.
What does strax mean, and where can it go in the sentence?

strax means immediately / right away. It often comes toward the end of the clause:

  • … tilkynni ég það strax.

But it can also appear earlier for emphasis, as long as the sentence remains grammatical:

  • … þá tilkynni ég það strax. (very common)
  • … þá tilkynni ég strax það. (possible, but usually less natural than placing strax after það)
How would you say this more “hypothetically,” like “I would notify” rather than “I will notify”?

You’d typically use myndi + infinitive for a more hypothetical/conditional “would”:

  • Ef endurgreiðslan kæmi ekki, þá myndi ég tilkynna það strax.

Notice two changes:

  • kemur → kæmi (past subjunctive form used for more hypothetical conditions)
  • tilkynni → myndi … tilkynna (would notify)