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Stundum set ég diskana í uppþvottavélina, en ég skola þá samt fyrst.

Stundum set ég diskana í uppþvottavélina, en ég skola þá samt fyrst.
Sometimes I put the dishes in the dishwasher, but I still rinse them first.

Breakdown of Stundum set ég diskana í uppþvottavélina, en ég skola þá samt fyrst.

ég
I
setja
to put
stundum
sometimes
en
but
í
into
diskurinn
the dish
uppþvottavélin
the dishwasher
þá
them
samt
still
skola
to rinse
fyrst
first
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Questions & Answers about Stundum set ég diskana í uppþvottavélina, en ég skola þá samt fyrst.

Why is it Stundum set ég... and not Stundum ég set...?

Icelandic is a V2 (verb-second) language in main clauses: the finite verb usually comes second, regardless of what comes first.

  • If you start with an adverb like Stundum (sometimes), the verb set moves up to the second position:
    • Stundum set ég...
  • The subject ég then comes after the verb.
What form is set here, and what verb is it from?

set is the present tense, 1st person singular form of the verb setja (to put/place).

  • ég set (I put)
  • þú setur (you put)
  • hann/hún setur (he/she puts)
Why is it diskana and not diska?

diskana is:

  • plural
  • definite (the dishes/plates)
  • accusative (direct object case)

The base noun is diskur (a dish/plate).

  • diska = plural accusative indefinite (some dishes)
  • diskana = plural accusative definite (the dishes)

The ending -ana is a common definite accusative plural ending for masculine nouns like diskur.

What case is used after í, and why?

í can take accusative or dative depending on meaning:

  • accusative = movement/direction (into)
  • dative = location (in)

Here it’s movement (putting them into the dishwasher), so it uses accusative:

  • í uppþvottavélina (into the dishwasher)
Why is uppþvottavélina definite?

uppþvottavélina is the definite accusative singular of uppþvottavél (dishwasher).

  • uppþvottavél = a dishwasher (indefinite)
  • uppþvottavélin = the dishwasher (definite nominative)
  • uppþvottavélina = the dishwasher (definite accusative)

In everyday language, Icelandic often uses the definite form when talking about a specific, known item (like the dishwasher in your home).

What does en do here, and why is there a comma before it?

en means but, and it typically connects two clauses. The comma before en is standard when it introduces a new clause (similar to English in many cases):

  • Clause 1: Stundum set ég...
  • Clause 2: en ég skola...
Why is ég repeated in the second clause?

Because en is linking two full clauses, Icelandic normally includes the subject again:

  • ..., en ég skola...

You can sometimes omit repeated material in very casual speech, but repeating the subject is the clear, standard pattern—especially in writing.

What is skola grammatically, and how is it used here?

skola is the verb to rinse. Here it’s in the present tense, 1st person singular, but note that the form looks the same as the infinitive:

  • að skola = to rinse
  • ég skola = I rinse

So in this sentence: ég skola þá... = I rinse them...

What does þá refer to, and what case is it?

þá means them here and refers back to diskana. It’s the accusative plural form of the 3rd-person pronoun (they/them set):

  • þeir (nom) / þá (acc) / þeim (dat) / þeirra (gen)

It’s accusative because skola takes a direct object: you rinse them.

Why is the pronoun þá placed after the verb skola?

In a normal Icelandic clause, the finite verb comes early, and objects typically follow it:

  • ég skola þá...

Also, Icelandic generally doesn’t place object pronouns before the main verb the way some languages do; verb + object is the default.

What does samt mean here, and where can it go in the sentence?

samt commonly means still / anyway / nevertheless. In this sentence it adds the idea “even so”:

  • ég skola þá samt fyrst = I still rinse them first

Placement is somewhat flexible, but after the object and before another adverb (like fyrst) is very natural:

  • skola þá samt fyrst You may also hear:
  • ég skola þá fyrst samt (possible, but less neutral)
Why is fyrst at the end?

fyrst means first and functions as an adverb. Icelandic often places adverbs like this toward the end of the clause, especially when they modify the whole action:

  • ég skola þá samt fyrst (I rinse them first)

You can also move it earlier for emphasis, but the ending position is very common and neutral.