Log inSign up

Ég tilkynni þér strax ef ég kem seint.

Ég tilkynni þér strax ef ég kem seint.
I will notify you immediately if I arrive late.

Breakdown of Ég tilkynni þér strax ef ég kem seint.

ég
I
þú
you
seint
late
strax
immediately
ef
if
koma
to arrive
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 Ég tilkynni þér strax ef ég kem seint.

Why is it þér and not þú/þig?

Because tilkynna (to notify/announce) typically takes:

  • a direct object in the accusative (what you notify/announce), and
  • an indirect object in the dative (the person you notify).

So þér is the dative singular of þú and means to you.
(If you added what you’re notifying, it might look like: Ég tilkynni þér það strax… = I’ll tell/notify you that right away…)

What’s going on with the verb tilkynni—what form is it?

Tilkynni is the 1st person singular present tense of tilkynna:

  • ég tilkynni = I notify / I announce

In Icelandic, the simple present often covers what English might express with will (especially for planned/regular actions), so it can naturally mean I’ll notify in context.

Why does Icelandic use present tense here if English often uses will?

Icelandic very commonly uses the present tense to talk about the near future or future intentions, especially with time words like strax (right away) or with conditional clauses like ef… (if…).
So Ég tilkynni… can be understood as I’ll let you know… without needing an explicit future marker.

Why is there a comma before ef?

In Icelandic it’s standard to separate a main clause from a following subordinate clause with a comma:

  • Ég tilkynni þér strax, ef… (main clause + subordinate clause)

In more informal writing you may sometimes see the comma omitted, but the “schoolbook” rule is to include it.

Does ef ég kem seint change the word order compared to a normal sentence?

Inside the ef-clause, the word order is basically the “normal” order:

  • ef
    • subject + verb + adverb
  • ef ég kem seint = if I come late

The big word-order change in Icelandic usually happens when the subordinate clause comes first. If you fronted it, you’d typically get inversion in the main clause:

  • Ef ég kem seint, tilkynni ég þér strax.
Why is kem used here (and not something like mun koma)?

Kem is the present tense of koma (to come) and is a very common, natural choice. Icelandic often avoids extra future constructions unless you really need emphasis.

mun koma (will come) exists, but it can sound more like a prediction/statement of future fact. In everyday speech, ef ég kem seint is the straightforward way to say if I’m late / if I arrive late.

Is seint an adjective or an adverb here? Why doesn’t it agree with anything?

Here seint is an adverb meaning late. Adverbs in Icelandic generally don’t show gender/number/case agreement the way adjectives do.

Compare:

  • Adverb: Ég kem seint. = I come/arrive late.
  • Adjective (with a noun): seinn lestur (rare/odd), sein bók = a late book (usually not what you mean)

So seint is the normal form for “late” with verbs.

Where can strax go in the sentence? Is this the only correct position?

Strax is fairly flexible, but placement affects emphasis.

Common options:

  • Ég tilkynni þér strax ef ég kem seint. (neutral; “right away” is prominent)
  • Ég tilkynni þér ef ég kem seint strax. (possible but often feels heavier/less natural)
  • Ég tilkynni þér ef ég kem seint, strax. (adds a pause; can feel emphatic)

The given order is a very natural default.

Does tilkynna sound formal? Would people actually say this?

Tilkynna can sound a bit formal/official (like “notify/announce”), but it’s still used in everyday language.

Very common everyday alternatives:

  • Ég læt þig vita strax ef ég kem seint. = I’ll let you know right away if I’m late.
  • Ég segi þér strax ef ég kem seint. = I’ll tell you right away if I’m late.

Note: with láta vita, people often use þig (accusative) rather than þér, because the verb pattern is different.

Can þér be replaced with þig here?

Not with tilkynna in this meaning. Tilkynna expects the person being informed as dative (þér).

If you want þig, you’d typically use a different expression, e.g.:

  • Ég læt þig vita… (accusative þig)
How do I pronounce the tricky parts: Ég, tilkynni, þér, strax, kem seint?

A practical approximation for an English speaker (not perfect IPA, but helpful):

  • Ég: like yegh/yeahg (Icelandic g here is soft; the vowel is like yeh)
  • tilkynni: roughly til-KIN-nih (stress on the first syllable: TIL-)
  • þér: thyehr (the letter þ is like unvoiced th in think)
  • strax: strahks (final x is like ks)
  • kem seint: keh(m) saynt (the ei in seint is like ay)

If you want, I can give IPA and audio-style breakdown per word.

Could this mean “I notify you immediately if I’m late” (habitual) or “I’ll notify you immediately if I’m late” (future)? How do you tell?

Yes, the present tense can cover both:

  • habitual/general: “I notify you right away if I’m late (as a rule).”
  • specific future: “I’ll notify you right away if I’m late (this time).”

Context decides. Time context (today/tonight), the situation, or additional words can make it explicit:

  • Habitual: Ég tilkynni þér alltaf strax… = I always tell you right away…
  • Specific: Ég tilkynni þér strax í kvöld… = I’ll tell you right away tonight…