Við tilkynnum þér niðurstöðuna á morgun.

We will notify you of the result tomorrow.

Breakdown of Við tilkynnum þér niðurstöðuna á morgun.

• við: we
• á morgun: tomorrow
• þér: you (polite)
• niðurstaðan: the result
• tilkynna: to inform

Questions & Answers about Við tilkynnum þér niðurstöðuna á morgun.

Why is the verb tilkynnum ending in -um?

Tilkynnum is the 1st person plural present tense form of the verb tilkynna (to announce/notify).
In Icelandic, present tense endings change with the subject:

• ég tilkynni (I announce)
• þú tilkynnir (you announce)
• við tilkynnum (we announce)
• þið tilkynnið (you plural announce)
• þeir/þær/þau tilkynna (they announce)

So -um matches við (we).

If it says “tomorrow,” why is the verb in the present tense and not a future tense?

Icelandic commonly uses the present tense for scheduled/expected future actions, especially with a clear time phrase like á morgun (tomorrow).
You can also use a more explicit future construction, e.g.:

• Við munum tilkynna þér niðurstöðuna á morgun. (We will notify you tomorrow.) But the plain present tilkynnum is very normal here.

Why is it þér and not þú/þig?

Because tilkynna typically takes the person being notified in the dative case.
So:

• þér = dative you (singular) Not:
• þú = nominative (subject form)
• þig = accusative (object form used with many other verbs)

This sentence has:

• subject: Við (we)
• indirect object (dative): þér (to you)
• direct object: niðurstöðuna (the result)

What case is niðurstöðuna, and why does it end in -na?

Niðurstaðan (the result) is a feminine noun (niðurstaða). Here it’s the direct object, so it’s in the accusative singular definite form:

• niðurstaða = an outcome/result (indefinite, nominative)
• niðurstöðuna = the outcome/result (definite, accusative)

The ending -na is the accusative singular definite ending for many feminine nouns of this type.

Why is it written as one word niðurstöðuna instead of having a separate word for “the”?

Icelandic usually expresses the with a suffix (a “postposed article”) attached to the noun:

• niðurstaða = a result
• niðurstaðan = the result (subject form)
• niðurstöðuna = the result (object form here)

So the definiteness is built into the noun ending.

Why is the word order Við tilkynnum þér niðurstöðuna and not Við tilkynnum niðurstöðuna þér?

Both can be possible, but the most neutral pattern is often: verb + indirect object + direct object
So tilkynnum þér niðurstöðuna = notify you (dative) the result (accusative).

Changing the order can shift emphasis:

• Við tilkynnum niðurstöðuna þér can sound like extra focus on þér (to you, specifically), depending on context and intonation.

Is þér formal (like German Sie)?

No. Þér here is simply the dative singular of þú (you). It’s not inherently formal.

Icelandic does have formal address, but it’s not expressed just by using þér. Formal address is typically done with titles/names and polite phrasing rather than a separate “formal you” pronoun system.

Why is it á morgun? What does á mean here?

Á morgun is an idiomatic time expression meaning tomorrow.
Literally, á often means on (like á mánudag = on Monday), and with morgun it forms the fixed phrase á morgun.

(You’ll also see í dag = today, í gær = yesterday.)

What’s the difference between niðurstaðan and niðurstöðuna?

They are different case forms of the same definite noun:

• niðurstaðan = nominative singular definite (typically used as the subject)
• niðurstöðuna = accusative singular definite (often used as the direct object)

Example contrast:

• Niðurstaðan er komin. (The result has arrived.)
• Við tilkynnum niðurstöðuna. (We announce the result.)

Could the sentence drop þér? Or replace it with something else?

Yes, depending on context.

• If it’s obvious who is being addressed, you can omit it: Við tilkynnum niðurstöðuna á morgun.
• You can replace it with another dative noun/pronoun:
  • Við tilkynnum henni niðurstöðuna á morgun. (to her)
  • Við tilkynnum Jóni niðurstöðuna á morgun. (to Jón)

The key is: the recipient stays in the dative with tilkynna.