Ef perurnar seljast upp, pöntum við þær á netinu.

we

Breakdown of Ef perurnar seljast upp, pöntum við þær á netinu.

• ef: if
• panta: to order
• á netinu: online

Questions & Answers about Ef perurnar seljast upp, pöntum við þær á netinu.

Why is there a comma after the ef-clause?

In Icelandic it’s standard to put a comma between a subordinate clause and the main clause when the subordinate clause comes first.
So Ef perurnar seljast upp, pöntum við þær á netinu. = subordinate clause + comma + main clause.

---

Why does the main clause start with the verb: pöntum við instead of við pöntum?

Icelandic is a V2 (verb-second) language in main clauses: the finite verb typically comes in the second “slot.”
Because the sentence begins with the ef-clause, that whole clause counts as the first element. Then the main clause must start with the finite verb:

• Ef … , pöntum við … (verb comes right after the fronted clause)

If you don’t front the conditional clause, you can use normal subject–verb order:

• Við pöntum þær á netinu ef perurnar seljast upp.

---

What exactly is seljast? Why not just selja?

Seljast is the middle/reflexive form (often used like an intransitive/passive-like verb).

• selja (eitthvað) = to sell (something) (someone actively sells it)
• seljast = to sell (well / out), to get sold, to be sold (focus on the item being sold, not the seller)

So perurnar seljast upp literally is like “the pears get sold up/out” → “the pears sell out.”