Eldspýturnar brenna ekki, því þær eru blautar.

The matches don’t burn, because they are wet.

Breakdown of Eldspýturnar brenna ekki, því þær eru blautar.

• vera: to be
• ekki: not
• því: because
• þær: they
• brenna: to burn
• eldspýtan: the match
• blautur: wet

Questions & Answers about Eldspýturnar brenna ekki, því þær eru blautar.

What does Eldspýturnar break down into, and why is the attached to the end?

Eldspýturnar = eldspýta (match) + plural ending + the definite article suffix.

• eldspýta is a feminine noun meaning match.
• The -nar at the end is the definite plural nominative form for many feminine nouns. So eldspýturnar literally corresponds to the matches (not matches in general, but specific ones).

Why is the verb brenna written as brenna (same as the dictionary form) here?

Because in the present tense, brenna conjugates like this:

• ég brenni (I burn)
• þú brennur (you burn)
• hann/hún/það brennur (he/she/it burns)
• við brennum (we burn)
• þið brennið (you pl. burn)
• þeir/þær/þau brenna (they burn)

The subject Eldspýturnar is plural, so you use brenna = they burn.

Why is the negation ekki placed after the verb: brenna ekki?

In Icelandic, ekki typically comes after the finite (conjugated) verb in the clause:

• Eldspýturnar brenna ekki = The matches do not burn.

If you negate the second clause, you’d also usually put ekki after the verb:

• þær eru ekki blautar = they are not wet.

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

Here því means because / since / for, introducing the reason:

• ..., því þær eru blautar. = ..., because they are wet.

Difference in feel/usage:

• því is common in writing and often works like a slightly more formal because/since, typically preceded by a comma.
• af því að is also because, often more “neutral/explicit,” and very common in speech.
  Both can be correct; the choice is often stylistic.

Why is there a comma before því?

It’s standard to put a comma before því when it introduces a reason clause, similar to English punctuation with ..., because ... (especially in more careful writing). It marks that what follows is an explanation.

Why does the word order stay normal in the second part: þær eru blautar (subject before verb)?

Because after a conjunction like því (in this “because” use), Icelandic typically uses normal clause order:

• subject + verb + complement: þær
  • eru
    • blautar

Inversion (verb-before-subject) is more typical after something is fronted in a main clause (e.g., an adverb placed first), not in this kind of reason clause introduced by því.

What does þær refer to, and why is it þær (not þeir or þau)?

þær = they (feminine plural, nominative).
It refers back to eldspýturnar (the matches). Since eldspýta is feminine, the pronoun must match:

• masculine plural: þeir
• feminine plural: þær
• neuter plural: þau

Why is blautar (not blaut or blautir)?

Adjectives in Icelandic agree with the noun/pronoun in gender, number, and case.

Here the subject is þær = feminine plural nominative, so the adjective must also be feminine plural nominative:

• masculine plural nom.: blautir
• feminine plural nom.: blautar
• neuter plural nom.: blaut

So þær eru blautar = they (f.) are wet (f. pl.).

Why is it eru and not er?

vera (to be) in the present tense:

• ég er (I am)
• þú ert (you are)
• hann/hún/það er (he/she/it is)
• við erum (we are)
• þið eruð (you pl. are)
• þeir/þær/þau eru (they are)

Since þær is they, you need eru.

Is brenna here transitive or intransitive—do we need an object?

Here brenna is being used intransitively, meaning to burn / to be burning:

• Eldspýturnar brenna ekki = The matches aren’t burning / don’t burn.

Icelandic also has related patterns (depending on meaning), but in this sentence no object is needed.

How do you pronounce some tricky parts: Eldspýturnar, því, and þær?

Key points for English speakers:

• þ is like th in thin (voiceless). So því starts with that sound.
• æ is roughly like eye (in many accents).
• ý is an Icelandic “ee”-like vowel but with rounded lips (not exactly English).

Very rough approximations:

• því ≈ thvee (but with Icelandic vowel quality)
• þær ≈ thigh-r (often close to thigh)
• Eldspýturnar: stress on the first syllable ELD-, and keep consonants clear: eld-spý-tur-nar.

Could I also say the sentence without repeating a pronoun—why not just repeat eldspýturnar?

You can repeat the noun, but using a pronoun is more natural, just like in English:

• Natural: Eldspýturnar brenna ekki, því þær eru blautar.
• Repetitive: Eldspýturnar brenna ekki, því eldspýturnar eru blautar.

The pronoun þær avoids repetition and clearly refers back to the matches.