Log inSign up

Við förum í gegnum samninginn vandlega áður en við undirritum hann.

Við förum í gegnum samninginn vandlega áður en við undirritum hann.
We go through the contract carefully before we sign it.

Breakdown of Við förum í gegnum samninginn vandlega áður en við undirritum hann.

við
we
áður en
before
undirrita
to sign
samningurinn
the contract
hann
it
vandlega
carefully
fara í gegnum
to go through
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Icelandic now

Questions & Answers about Við förum í gegnum samninginn vandlega áður en við undirritum hann.

Why is förum in the present tense if the English meaning sounds like “we’re going to…”?

Icelandic often uses the present tense to talk about planned or near-future actions, especially with a clear context like “before we sign it.”
So Við förum… áður en við undirritum… can naturally mean “We’ll go through… before we sign…”

What’s the grammar of í gegnum—is it one preposition, and what case does it take?

í gegnum functions as a compound prepositional phrase meaning through / throughout / by way of (often “go through (a document)”).
It normally takes the accusative case, so you get í gegnum samninginn (accusative).

Why is it samninginn and not samningur or samning?

Because samningurinn (the contract) is the subject form (nominative), but here “the contract” is the direct object of förum í gegnum (“go through”), so it must be accusative:

  • Nominative: samningur / samningurinn
  • Accusative: samning / samninginn

The -inn also shows it’s definite: the contract (a specific contract).

Is við förum a fixed expression, or can you also say við förum yfir samninginn?

Both are common, with slightly different “feel”:

  • fara í gegnum samning = go through it step by step / work through it
  • fara yfir samning = review it / go over it

In many contexts they’re interchangeable, but í gegnum often emphasizes a more thorough, sequential walkthrough.

Why is vandlega placed where it is? Could it go elsewhere?

Vandlega (“carefully/thoroughly”) is an adverb modifying the action förum í gegnum. Placing it after the object is very natural:

  • Við förum í gegnum samninginn vandlega.

Other placements can work but may sound more marked or stylistic, e.g.:

  • Við förum vandlega í gegnum samninginn. (also fine; highlights “carefully” a bit earlier)
How does áður en work, and does it affect word order?

Áður en means before and introduces a subordinate clause.
The clause after it has normal subject–verb order, as you see here:

  • áður en við undirritum hann (subject við
    • verb undirritum)

Also note: the main clause keeps standard “verb-second” order:

  • Við (1st) förum (2nd) …
Why does Icelandic repeat við twice? Can it be omitted the second time?

In Icelandic you normally keep the subject in the subordinate clause:

  • … áður en við undirritum hann.

Omitting it would generally be ungrammatical or very unnatural in standard modern Icelandic.

Why is it undirritum hann (“sign it”) and not repeating the noun again?

Because Icelandic, like English, commonly uses a pronoun to refer back to something already mentioned:

  • samninginn = the contract
  • hann = it (referring to the contract)

Repeating the full noun (undirritum samninginn) is possible, but it can sound heavier or more repetitive unless you want emphasis or clarity.

Why is the pronoun hann used for “it”? Is a contract masculine?

Yes—samningur is a masculine noun, so the pronoun referring to it is hann.
Icelandic pronouns agree with the noun’s grammatical gender, not “natural” gender.

What case is hann here? Shouldn’t it change form?

It’s the direct object of undirritum, so it’s accusative.
For hann, the accusative form happens to be the same as nominative:

  • Nominative: hann
  • Accusative: hann
  • Dative: honum
  • Genitive: hans