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Því fyrr sem við byrjum að skreyta, því rólegri verður hún.

Því fyrr sem við byrjum að skreyta, því rólegri verður hún.
The earlier we start decorating, the calmer she becomes.
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Questions & Answers about Því fyrr sem við byrjum að skreyta, því rólegri verður hún.

Why are there two þvís? What does the pattern Því X sem …, því Y … mean?

It’s a fixed correlative comparative construction meaning the X‑er …, the Y‑er ….

  • Því fyrr sem … = the sooner that …
  • því rólegri … = the calmer …

So the sentence uses the common Icelandic template: Því + comparative + sem‑clause, því + comparative + verb + subject (often).

What is sem doing here? Does it mean as or that?

In this construction, sem is basically a linking word meaning that/which (often best translated as that in English):

  • Því fyrr sem við byrjum … ≈ The sooner that we start …

You normally keep sem in this pattern; Því fyrr við byrjum… sounds incomplete to most speakers.

Why is fyrr used (and not fyrri or something else)?

Fyrr is the comparative form of the adverb snemma (early):

  • snemma = early (adverb)
  • fyrr = earlier / sooner (comparative)
  • fyrst = earliest / first (superlative)

Fyrri exists, but it’s usually an adjective meaning former/earlier (of two) (e.g., fyrr(i) dagurinn in some contexts), not the “sooner” adverb used here.

Why is it rólEGri and not rólEGra or rólEGur? Does it have to match hún?

Rólegri is the comparative of rólegur (calm). In the comparative, Icelandic often uses a single form -ri that works across genders in many predicative uses.

Here it’s a predicate adjective after verða (become), describing hún:

  • hún verður rólegri = she becomes calmer

So yes, it describes hún, but the comparative form you see is the normal one here.

Why does the second clause start with því rólegri verður hún (verb before subject)? Why not … hún verður rólegri?

Icelandic has V2 word order in main clauses: the finite verb tends to come second. When you front something (here, því rólegri), the verb typically comes next:

  • Fronted element: því rólegri
  • Finite verb (2nd position): verður
  • Subject after the verb: hún

You can also say … því rólegri verður hún very naturally in this construction; … hún verður því rólegri would shift emphasis and is less idiomatic in the standard “the …er, the …er” pattern.

Why is there a comma in the middle?

It separates the two correlated parts of the construction:

1) Því fyrr sem við byrjum að skreyta
2) því rólegri verður hún

It’s like writing: The sooner …, the calmer … in English (which also commonly takes a comma).

What does að skreyta mean grammatically? Why is there að before the verb?

Að is the infinitive marker (similar to to in English):

  • byrja = to begin/start
  • byrja að + infinitive = start to do something
  • skreyta = decorate
  • byrjum að skreyta = we start to decorate

Without að, it would not be the standard infinitive construction after byrja.

Why is byrjum present tense if the meaning is about the future?

In Icelandic (as in English), the present tense is commonly used in conditional/time-like structures to refer to future situations, especially in patterns like this:

  • Því fyrr sem við byrjum … = The sooner we start … (future meaning)

The future result is then expressed in the main clause with verður (will become).

Is verður present tense too? How does it mean will be / will become?

Yes, verður is present tense of verða (to become; to be), but Icelandic often uses the present tense to express a future result, especially when it’s a general statement:

  • hún verður rólegri can mean she becomes calmer or she will become calmer, depending on context.

If you want a more explicitly “future” feel, you can use mun:

  • hún mun verða rólegri = she will (definitely) become calmer

But the sentence as given is completely normal.

What does því mean on its own here? I thought því meant therefore or because of that.

Good catch: því can mean things like therefore/so in other contexts, but in this specific construction it’s a special, fixed use meaning the (by that much) in the …er, the …er pattern.

So here því is not “therefore”; it’s part of the comparative correlatives:

  • því fyrr …, því rólegri … = the sooner …, the calmer …
Does hún have to be a person? Could it refer to an object?

Hún is simply she/it (feminine grammatical gender). It can refer to:

  • a woman/girl (she), or
  • any feminine-gender noun (it), like hurðin (the door), bókin (the book), etc., depending on the broader context.

The grammar stays the same; only the real-world meaning changes.

How would I pronounce some tricky parts: Því fyrr, skreyta, and rólegri?

A rough guide (not perfect IPA, but helpful):

  • Því: like thvee (voiceless th as in thing, then vee)
  • fyrr: roughly firr with a rolled/tapped r, and a “tight” Icelandic y vowel (often close to i for English ears)
  • skreyta: roughly skr-ey-ta (the ey is like a tight ay/ei sound)
  • rólegri: roughly ROH-leh-gri (with a tapped/rolled r)

If you want, I can write these in IPA and explain the main sound rules involved (like ey, y, and Icelandic r).