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Hún hvílir sig líka, en hún gengur frá eftir morgunmat.

Hún hvílir sig líka, en hún gengur frá eftir morgunmat.
She rests too, but she tidies up after breakfast.

Breakdown of Hún hvílir sig líka, en hún gengur frá eftir morgunmat.

hún
she
líka
too
en
but
eftir
after
hvíla sig
to rest
ganga frá
to tidy up
morgunmaturinn
the breakfast
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Questions & Answers about Hún hvílir sig líka, en hún gengur frá eftir morgunmat.

Why is hún repeated: Hún ... , en hún ...? Can I drop the second one?

Icelandic often repeats the subject pronoun in coordinated clauses, especially when the clauses are a bit “separate” in meaning or structure.
You can omit the second hún in many contexts: Hún hvílir sig líka, en gengur frá eftir morgunmat.
Including it can sound a little clearer and more balanced, and it’s very common in careful or neutral style.

What is sig doing here? Why not just Hún hvílir?

sig is a reflexive pronoun (roughly “herself”), and hvíla sig is the normal way to say “to rest (oneself) / take a rest.”

  • Hún hvílir sig. = she rests / takes a rest
    Without sig, hvíla more easily sounds like “to give rest to (something/someone)” or can feel incomplete depending on the context.
How does the reflexive pronoun change for different subjects?

The reflexive pronoun matches the person/number of the subject:

  • ég hvíli mig (I rest)
  • þú hvílir þig (you rest)
  • hann/hún/það hvílir sig (he/she/it rests)
  • við hvílum okkur (we rest)
  • þið hvílið ykkur (you all rest)
  • þeir/þær/þau hvíla sig (they rest)
What does líka mean here, and why is it placed after sig?

líka means “also/too” (the meaning is assumed known, but placement still matters). It often comes after the verb or object it relates to, and this position is very natural:

  • Hún hvílir sig líka = “She also rests” / “She rests too”
    You can move it for emphasis, but the sentence’s neutral rhythm strongly favors the given placement.
What’s the role of en in the middle?
en is a coordinating conjunction meaning “but.” It links two independent clauses and signals contrast: one thing happens, but another (possibly unexpected or balancing) thing also happens.
Why is there a comma before en?

A comma is typically used before en when it joins two full main clauses, especially when the subject is stated in both clauses (as here). It helps mark the clause boundary:
Hún ..., en hún ...

What tense/form is hvílir and gengur?

Both are present tense, 3rd person singular:

  • (að) hvíla → hún hvílir
  • (að) ganga → hún gengur
    Icelandic present tense can cover habitual actions (“she usually…”) and actions around the present time, depending on context.
What does gengur frá mean? Is it literally “walks away”?

It’s an idiomatic verb + particle combination. ganga frá often means to finish up / put things away / tidy up / clear up (after something).
Even though ganga literally means “walk,” in this fixed expression it’s not about walking; it’s about completing/putting things in order.

What does frá mean on its own, and why is it attached to gengur?

frá as a preposition often means “from,” but as a verb particle it can add meanings like “away/off/finished.”
In ganga frá, the particle is essential: it creates a new, common meaning (“tidy/finish up”) that you wouldn’t predict just from “walk” + “from.”

Why is it eftir morgunmat and not eftir morgunmatur?

Because eftir (in the “after” meaning) governs the accusative case.
morgunmatur is the dictionary (nominative) form, and morgunmat is its accusative singular form:

  • morgunmatur (nom.) → morgunmat (acc.)
Does eftir always take accusative?

No. eftir can take:

  • accusative for meanings like “after” (time) or “along”
  • dative for meanings like “according to,” “in search of,” “missing/longing for,” etc.
    So the case depends on the meaning.
How would I turn this into a yes/no question in Icelandic?

Icelandic typically forms yes/no questions by putting the finite verb first:

  • Hvílir hún sig líka, en gengur hún frá eftir morgunmat?
    Often you’d ask each part as its own question in real speech, but the key pattern is verb–subject at the start of the question clause.