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Umsóknin mín er enn í vinnslu; ég mun láta þig vita þegar ég fæ svar.

Umsóknin mín er enn í vinnslu; ég mun láta þig vita þegar ég fæ svar.
My application is still being processed; I will let you know when I get an answer.
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Questions & Answers about Umsóknin mín er enn í vinnslu; ég mun láta þig vita þegar ég fæ svar.

Why is it Umsóknin and not just umsókn?

Umsókn means an application (indefinite).
Umsóknin is the definite form the application, where -in is the suffixed definite article (roughly the). Icelandic usually attaches the to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.

So:

  • umsókn = an application
  • umsóknin = the application
Why does mín come after the noun: Umsóknin mín, not mín umsóknin?

In Icelandic, possessives commonly come after the noun, especially in everyday style:

  • Umsóknin mín = my application (literally the application my)

Putting the possessive before the noun is possible in some contexts, but it’s less “default” and often feels more emphatic or stylistically marked. For a neutral statement, post-position (Umsóknin mín) is very common.

Is there a difference between Umsóknin mín and umsókn mín?

Yes—mainly definiteness/specificity:

  • umsókn mín = my application (more general/less “the specific one”)
  • umsóknin mín = my (specific) application / my application (the one we’re talking about)

In a sentence like this—status updates about an application—you typically mean a particular known application, so the definite form Umsóknin mín fits well.

What exactly is í vinnslu, and why does vinnsla become vinnslu?

í vinnslu is a fixed, very common phrase meaning in processing / being processed / under review.

Grammar-wise:

  • í (in) usually takes the dative case when describing location/state.
  • The noun vinnsla (processing) is feminine, and its dative singular form is vinnslu.

So í + dative → í vinnslu.

What does enn mean here, and where does it usually go in the sentence?

enn means still.

Placement is flexible, but it often appears:

  • after the verb er in simple statements: er enn ...
  • or before the thing it modifies for emphasis

Here, er enn í vinnslu is a very natural “status-update” word order: is still in processing.

Why is there a semicolon (;) instead of a comma or a period?

A semicolon is used to join two closely related independent clauses: 1) Umsóknin mín er enn í vinnslu
2) ég mun láta þig vita þegar ég fæ svar

You could also write:

  • with a period: Umsóknin mín er enn í vinnslu. Ég mun ... (totally fine)
  • sometimes with a comma (less formal/less clear): ..., ég mun ...

The semicolon signals “these two thoughts belong together.”

How does the future work in ég mun láta þig vita?

Icelandic often forms the future with munu + infinitive:

  • ég mun = I will
  • láta = infinitive let / have / cause
  • vita = infinitive know

So ég mun láta þig vita literally is I will let you know.

(Also: Icelandic can sometimes use the present tense to refer to the future, but mun is a clear, explicit future marker.)

How does láta þig vita work grammatically?

It’s an idiomatic construction meaning let you know / inform you.

Structure:

  • láta
    • (person affected) + infinitive
  • þig = you (object)
  • vita = know (infinitive)

So it’s literally: I will let you know (= I will cause you to know).

Why is it þig and not þér?

Because láta here takes the person as a direct object, which is accusative:

  • þú (you, subject)
  • þig (you, accusative object)
  • þér (you, dative object)

In this phrase, the natural Icelandic is láta þig vita (accusative).

Why does it say þegar ég fæ svar (present tense) if it refers to the future?

In Icelandic (as in English), after time words like þegar (when), the verb is commonly in the present tense even if the meaning is future:

  • þegar ég fæ svar = when I get an answer (future meaning in context)

Also, fá means get/receive, so fá svar is a common collocation: receive an answer.