Ég tengi símann við hleðslutækið, þannig að síminn virkar aftur.

I connect the phone to the charger, so the phone works again.

Breakdown of Ég tengi símann við hleðslutækið, þannig að síminn virkar aftur.

• ég: I
• aftur: again
• virka: to work
• síminn: the phone
• við: to
• tengja: to connect
• hleðslutækið: the charger
• þannig að: so (that)

Questions & Answers about Ég tengi símann við hleðslutækið, þannig að síminn virkar aftur.

Why does sími appear twice, once as símann and later as síminn?

Because the sentence uses two different grammatical roles (and therefore two different cases):

• Ég tengi símann … → símann is the direct object of tengi (accusative).
• … þannig að síminn virkar aftur. → síminn is the subject of virkar (nominative).

Same noun, different case depending on its job in the clause.

What does tengi mean grammatically, and how is it formed?

tengi is the 1st person singular present tense of the verb tengja (to connect).

• infinitive: að tengja
• present (I): ég tengi
• present (you sg.): þú tengir
• present (he/she/it): hann/hún/það tengir

So Ég tengi … literally means I connect … / I am connecting … depending on context.

Why is it við hleðslutækið and not some other preposition?

In Icelandic, the verb tengja commonly takes:

• an object (what you connect) + við (what you connect it to)

So tengja X við Y = connect X to Y.

What case does við take here, and how can I tell?

Here við takes the accusative because it marks a connection/attachment as the complement of tengja. You can see it in the forms:

• símann is clearly accusative.
• hleðslutækið is also accusative here, though for many neuter nouns the nominative and accusative look the same.

A quick pattern to remember: tengja X við Y → Y is typically accusative.

Why is hleðslutæki written as hleðslutækið (with -ið)?

-ið is the definite article suffix for neuter singular nouns.

• hleðslutæki = a charger / a charging device
• hleðslutækið = the charger

Icelandic normally attaches the to the end of the noun rather than using a separate word.

What is the function of þannig að in the sentence?

þannig að means so that / with the result that and introduces a result clause. Structure:

• Main clause: Ég tengi símann við hleðslutækið,
• Result clause: þannig að síminn virkar aftur.

It’s similar to English …, so the phone works again.

Why is there a comma before þannig að?

Because þannig að introduces a subordinate clause (a result clause). Icelandic typically uses a comma to separate:

• the main clause
• from the subordinate clause introduced by a conjunction like að, þegar, ef, því að, þannig að, etc.

So the comma is the normal written separation of the two clauses.

Why is it virkar and not virki?

virkar is the present indicative of virka (to work / function): síminn virkar = the phone works.

virki is a subjunctive form (and can also appear as a noun meaning a power plant), but after þannig að expressing a real result, Icelandic typically uses the indicative: virkar.

What exactly does virka mean here—work as in “operate,” or “have a job”?

Here virkar means functions / operates (like a device). For “work” as in having a job, Icelandic uses other wording, e.g. vinna (to work) or vera í vinnu (to be at work), depending on the meaning.

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

aftur means again (or sometimes back, depending on context). In your sentence it means again: síminn virkar aftur = the phone works again.

Position is fairly flexible, but common choices are:

• síminn virkar aftur
• aftur virkar síminn (more marked/stylistic)
• síminn aftur virkar (generally less natural)

Why do we use síminn (with -inn) and not just sími?

síminn is the phone (definite).

• sími = a phone
• síminn = the phone

Because the sentence is about a specific phone (your phone), Icelandic naturally uses the definite form.

How would I say the same thing if I want to mention my phone explicitly?

A common, natural option is:

• Ég tengi símann minn við hleðslutækið, þannig að síminn virkar aftur.

Here minn agrees with símann (masculine, singular, accusative). You could also avoid repeating síminn in the second clause by using a pronoun:

• … þannig að hann virkar aftur. (so that it works again; hann refers to síminn)

Can I replace þannig að with svo að, and is there any difference?

Often, yes:

• …, svo að síminn virkar aftur.

Both can mean so that / so, but typical tendencies are:

• þannig að often feels like thus/so, with the result that
• svo að is very common and can feel slightly more neutral/colloquial

In many everyday contexts they’re interchangeable.

How would I negate this sentence?

You negate each clause with ekki in the usual position (typically after the finite verb):

• Ég tengi símann ekki við hleðslutækið, þannig að síminn virkar ekki aftur.

More natural in many contexts is to place ekki after the object in the first clause:

• Ég tengi símann við hleðslutækið ekki … (often sounds clunky) So most speakers would instead rephrase, for example:
• Ég tengi símann ekki við hleðslutækið, svo síminn virkar ekki.