Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Ég les fréttirnar eftir kvöldmat.

Ég is the 1st-person singular subject pronoun (I). It’s capitalized here because it’s the first word of the sentence (Icelandic doesn’t normally capitalize ég mid-sentence).

What form of the verb is les, and how is it conjugated?

les is the present tense, 1st-person singular form of lesa (to read).

infinitive: lesa
present (ég): ég les
past (ég): ég las

So Ég les... = I read / I am reading (depending on context).

Does the present tense here mean “I read” or “I am reading”?

Icelandic often uses the simple present for both:

habitual/general: I read the news (regularly) after dinner
right now (context-dependent): I’m reading the news after dinner

If you need to make “right now” clearer, you might add an adverb like núna (now), but it’s not required.

Why is fréttir plural? Isn’t “news” singular in English?

In Icelandic, fréttir is normally plural (similar to how some languages treat “news” as plural). The singular frétt exists, but it means a piece of news / a news item, not “news” as a general category.

What does the ending -nar in fréttirnar do?

-nar is the attached definite article for feminine plural nouns in the nominative/accusative.

fréttir = news (indefinite: “news”)
fréttirnar = the news

So -nar is basically “the” built into the word.

Why is fréttirnar not changing form even though it’s the object?

The verb lesa takes a direct object in the accusative case. However, for many feminine plural nouns, nominative plural and accusative plural look the same.

So fréttirnar can be accusative here even though it looks identical to the nominative form.

Why is it eftir kvöldmat and not something like “after the dinner”?

Icelandic often uses a “mealtime” noun without the definite article when talking about the general routine:

eftir kvöldmat = after dinner (in general)
eftir kvöldmatinn = after the dinner (a specific dinner)

Both are grammatical; the choice depends on whether you mean dinner in general or a specific one.

What case does eftir require here, and why?

Here eftir means after in time, and it takes the accusative:

eftir kvöldmat (acc.)

Eftir can also take dative in other meanings (often “according to” / “in accordance with” or “based on”), so case can help you tell which meaning is intended.

What is the dictionary form of kvöldmat, and what’s happening to it?

The base word is kvöldmatur (evening meal / dinner). In the sentence it appears as kvöldmat, which is the accusative singular form (required after eftir in this meaning).

A simplified view:

nominative: kvöldmatur
accusative: kvöldmat

Is the word order fixed? Can I move eftir kvöldmat?

You can move it, but Icelandic has a strong verb-second (V2) tendency in main clauses: the finite verb typically comes second.

Your sentence:

Ég (1st element) + les (verb) + rest

If you front the time phrase, the verb still stays second:

Eftir kvöldmat les ég fréttirnar.

Notice how ég moves after the verb in that version.

Can I drop the subject pronoun and just say Les fréttirnar eftir kvöldmat?

Usually no. Icelandic generally requires an explicit subject in normal finite clauses. Dropping ég would sound like an imperative (Read the news after dinner) or an unnatural fragment unless you’re in a special context (like notes/telegrams).

Any pronunciation points a native English speaker typically struggles with in this sentence?

A few common ones:

Ég: the g is not a hard English g; it’s a softer sound (often described as a voiced velar fricative), and the vowel is like yeh-ish for many learners.
fréttir: stress is on the first syllable (FRÉT-), and é is a clear “ay”-like vowel (not the English “ee”).
kvöld-: ö is not English o; it’s closer to German ö / French eu (lips rounded, tongue more forward).