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Hún keypti nýjar eldspýtur í búðinni, því gömlu eldspýturnar voru blautar.

Hún keypti nýjar eldspýtur í búðinni, því gömlu eldspýturnar voru blautar.
She bought new matches at the store because the old matches were wet.

Breakdown of Hún keypti nýjar eldspýtur í búðinni, því gömlu eldspýturnar voru blautar.

vera
to be
hún
she
kaupa
to buy
búðin
the store
í
at
gamall
old
nýr
new
því
because
eldspýtan
the match
blautur
wet
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Questions & Answers about Hún keypti nýjar eldspýtur í búðinni, því gömlu eldspýturnar voru blautar.

Why does nýjar end in -ar here?

Because eldspýtur is feminine plural, and in this sentence it’s the direct object of keypti (bought), so it’s in the accusative plural.
Adjectives agree with the noun in gender + number + case, so:

  • nýr (m.sg) / ný (f.sg) / nýtt (n.sg)
  • nýjar = feminine plural accusative (also the same form is used for feminine plural nominative in many adjective paradigms, but here the role is accusative because it’s the object)

So nýjar eldspýtur = new matches (as the thing she bought).

Why is it eldspýtur and not eldspýturnar in the first part?

eldspýtur is indefinite (matches, not the matches). In the first clause, she bought some new matches (not necessarily previously known/identified ones).
In the second clause we get eldspýturnar (the matches) because it refers to a specific set: the old matches she already had.

So the sentence contrasts:

  • nýjar eldspýtur = new matches (indefinite/new to the story)
  • gömlu eldspýturnar = the old matches (definite/known)
What’s going on with gömlu eldspýturnar—why is the adjective gömlu and not something like gömlur?

When a noun is definite in Icelandic (here: eldspýturnar, with the attached definite article -nar), the adjective typically uses the weak adjective declension.

That’s why you get:

  • gömlu eldspýturnar = the old matches

In weak declension, the adjective often looks like gömlu in several slots, especially in the plural.

Why is it eldspýturnar (with -nar)—what does that ending mean?

-nar is the definite article ending for a feminine plural nominative noun.

  • eldspýta = a match (feminine singular)
  • eldspýtur = matches (plural, indefinite)
  • eldspýturnar = the matches (plural, definite)

The -nar part bundles the meaning of “the” into the noun itself.

Why does it say í búðinni—why is the shop definite (the shop)?

búðinni is búð (shop) with:

  • -inni = definite + dative singular ending

So í búðinni literally means in the shop. Icelandic often uses the definite form in situations where English might say in a shop or at the store, especially if it’s understood which shop is meant (e.g., the local store, a particular store you both know about).

Why is it í búðinni (dative) and not some other case?

The preposition í can govern either accusative or dative, depending on meaning:

  • í + dative = location (being somewhere)
  • í + accusative = motion into (going into somewhere)

Here it’s location: she bought them in the shop (she was there), so it’s dative: í búðinni.

What does því do here, and how is it different from af því að?

Here því functions as a conjunction meaning because / since, introducing the reason clause:

  • …, því gömlu eldspýturnar voru blautar.
    …, because the old matches were wet.

af því að also means because, and is very common too. Often the difference is style/structure:

  • því is a bit more like “for/since” in tone and commonly follows a comma.
  • af því að is a more explicit “because (of the fact) that” type connector.

In many everyday cases, both work, but they may lead to slightly different punctuation and rhythm.

Why is there a comma before því?

In Icelandic it’s normal to put a comma before a clause introduced by conjunctions like því when it adds an explanation/reason, similar to English “, because …” in many styles.

So the comma helps mark the break between:

  • the main statement: Hún keypti…
    and
  • the reason: því gömlu… voru blautar.
Why is the word order því gömlu eldspýturnar voru blautar and not something with inversion?

In the main clause, Icelandic is typically V2 (the finite verb in the second position). The first clause fits that pattern.

But after því here, you have a reason clause that behaves like a subordinate/explanatory clause in normal S–V order:

  • gömlu eldspýturnar (subject)
  • voru (verb)
  • blautar (predicate adjective)

So you get: … því [subject] [verb] …

Why is it voru blautar (plural feminine) and not just one default form?

Because blautur (wet) is an adjective and it must agree with the subject gömlu eldspýturnar, which is feminine plural.

  • vera (to be) in past plural = voru (they were)
  • blautur changes to match feminine plural = blautar

So: (They) were wet = voru blautar.

What tense is keypti, and how is it formed?

keypti is the simple past (preterite) of kaupa (to buy).

  • infinitive: að kaupa
  • past (3rd person singular): keypti = (she/he) bought

It’s an irregular vowel change pattern (kaupa → keypti) that you’ll see in several Icelandic verbs.

How do you pronounce some tricky parts like eldspýtur, því, and búðinni?

A few common pronunciation points:

  • eldspýtur: roughly ELT-spee-tur
    • spý has an ee-like vowel (Icelandic ý is close to ee, but with rounded lips)
  • því: roughly thvee
    • þ is like English th in think
    • í is a long ee sound
  • búðinni: roughly BOO-thin-nih
    • ú is oo
    • ð is often like the th in this (sometimes very soft or almost disappearing depending on speed)
    • stress is usually on the first syllable: BÚð-...

If you want, I can also break each word into syllables and give an IPA-style guide.