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Við sendum leigusalnum myndir af biluninni, svo hann skilji stöðuna.

Við sendum leigusalnum myndir af biluninni, svo hann skilji stöðuna.
We send the landlord pictures of the malfunction so he understands the situation.
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Questions & Answers about Við sendum leigusalnum myndir af biluninni, svo hann skilji stöðuna.

Why is leigusalnum in that form, and what case is it?

Leigusalnum is dative singular, definite (“to the landlord” / “to the landlady” depending on the person).
The verb senda often takes:

  • a direct object (thing sent) in accusative → myndir
  • an indirect object (recipient) in dative → leigusalnum

So the structure is basically: We sent [pictures]ACC to [the landlord]DAT.

Is sendum present tense or past tense here?

It can be either, because við sendum is identical in:

  • present: we send / we are sending
  • past: we sent

Only context tells you which one is meant.

What’s the “dictionary form” of leigusalnum, and how is the word built?

The dictionary form is leigusali (“landlord”).
It’s a compound:

  • leigu- (rental/lease)
  • -sali (seller/provider)

Then it’s inflected to dative singular definite with the ending -num → leigusalnum.

Why is it myndir and not myndirnar?

myndir is indefinite (“pictures/some pictures”).
myndirnar would be definite (“the pictures”), i.e. pictures already known/previously mentioned or otherwise specific.

Both are possible depending on context:

  • Við sendum leigusalnum myndir... = we sent (some) photos
  • Við sendum leigusalnum myndirnar... = we sent the photos (the ones we talked about)
Why does it say myndir af biluninni—what does af do here?

af here means “of / showing” in the sense of “photos of something.”
In Icelandic, mynd af X (“a picture of X”) is the normal pattern, and af typically governs the dative, which is why you get biluninni (dative).

Why is biluninni in that exact form?

bilun = “fault / malfunction / breakdown.”
biluninni is dative singular definite (“the malfunction”), because:

  • the preposition af requires dative
  • the -inni ending marks the (definite) + the right case/number

So af biluninni = “of the malfunction.”

Why is there a comma before svo?

Icelandic normally uses a comma to separate a main clause from a following subordinate clause.
Here, svo introduces a purpose/result clause, so the comma is standard:
..., svo hann skilji stöðuna.

What does svo mean here, and is it the same as English “so”?

Yes—here svo means “so (that)” and introduces a clause explaining purpose/aim:
We send ... so that he understands ...

You’ll also often see svo að, but svo alone is common in this use.

Why is it skilji and not skilur?

skilji is subjunctive, used after svo (að) when expressing purpose/goal (“so that he may understand”).
skilur is indicative (“he understands”), which would sound more like stating a fact rather than the intended purpose.

So:

  • svo hann skilji = so that he (will) understand (purpose)
  • hann skilur = he understands (statement)
Could you also say it with til að instead of svo?

Yes, but the structure changes.

  • svo (að) + subjunctive: svo hann skilji stöðuna
  • til að + infinitive (usually same-subject purpose): often used when the subject is the same as the main clause

Because the subject changes (we → he), svo hann skilji... is especially natural here.

Why is it hann (nominative) and not honum (dative)?

Because in svo hann skilji stöðuna, hann is the subject of the verb skilji (“he understands”), and subjects are normally nominative.

honum would be used for an object/indirect object (“to him”), not as a subject.

Why is stöðuna in that form—what case is it?

stöðuna is accusative singular definite (“the situation”).
The verb skilja (“to understand”) takes its object in the accusative, so:

  • skilja stöðuna = “understand the situation”
Is the word order in svo hann skilji stöðuna fixed?

In subordinate clauses introduced by words like svo, Icelandic typically has:

  • conjunction (svo)
  • subject (hann)
  • finite verb (skilji)
  • rest (stöðuna)

So this order is the normal, neutral one.

How do you pronounce the trickiest words here?

A few common trouble spots:

  • Við: the ð is very soft (often barely pronounced), something like “vith” but lighter.
  • leigusalnum: stress on the first syllable (LEI-).
  • biluninni: long i sounds can be clear and “bright”; ending -inni is common in definite dative forms.
  • skilji: ends with a -ji sound (a “y” glide).
  • stöðuna: ö is like German ö / French eu (not like English “oh”).