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Annars vegar getum við notað nagla, hins vegar er betra að skrúfa þetta fast.

Annars vegar getum við notað nagla, hins vegar er betra að skrúfa þetta fast.
On the one hand we can use nails, on the other hand it’s better to screw this tight.
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Questions & Answers about Annars vegar getum við notað nagla, hins vegar er betra að skrúfa þetta fast.

What do annars vegar and hins vegar mean, and how are they used?

They form a paired expression meaning on the one hand … on the other hand (or alternatively … alternatively). You normally use them together to present two options/contrasts:

  • Annars vegar = on one side / in one respect / for one option
  • Hins vegar = on the other side / in another respect / for the other option
    They often come at the beginning of each clause, as in your sentence.
Why is it annars (not annar) in annars vegar?
Annars is historically/genetically connected to a genitive form meaning something like of the other. In modern Icelandic, annars vegar is basically a fixed idiom, so you learn it as a set phrase rather than building it productively each time.
What exactly is hins in hins vegar?
Hins is the genitive singular of hinn (an older/extra demonstrative meaning the other). Hins vegar is also largely idiomatic today, and it pairs with annars vegar to signal the second side/option.
Why does the verb come second in Annars vegar getum við notað…?

Icelandic is a V2 language in main clauses: the finite verb typically comes in the second position.
Here, Annars vegar is in position 1, so the verb getum must come next, and the subject við follows:

  • Annars vegar (1) + getum (2) + við
    • notað …
What is getum grammatically?

Getum is the present tense, 1st person plural form of geta (can / be able to).

  • infinitive: geta
  • present 1pl: við getum = we can
Why is it getum … notað (two verbs)? Which one carries the tense?

The tense is carried by the finite verb getum. The second verb notað is the infinitive (to use) and follows modal verbs like geta:

  • við getum notað = we can use
Why is it nagli / nagla—what case/number is nagla here?

Nagli = a nail (dictionary form, nominative singular).
In the sentence, nagla is the object of nota, and it’s in the accusative plural:

  • nominative plural: naglar
  • accusative plural: nagla
    So notað nagla = use nails.
Why is it er betra að skrúfa… instead of something like við erum betri að…?

The structure það er betra að + infinitive is a very common Icelandic way to say it is better to ….
Here betra is the neuter singular comparative form of góður (good), used because the clause is an impersonal it is… construction:

  • (það) er betra að skrúfa… = it’s better to screw…
What does að do in betra að skrúfa?

Að introduces an infinitive clause after adjectives like betra (and many similar expressions). It’s the standard pattern:

  • gott að gera = good to do
  • betra að gera = better to do
What does skrúfa mean here, and why not a form like skrúfum?

Skrúfa is the infinitive meaning to screw (i.e., fasten using screws). It stays in the infinitive because it depends on betra að …:

  • er betra að skrúfa = is better to screw
Does þetta fast literally mean “this fast”? What is fast?

No—fast in Icelandic means firmly / tight / secured, not “quickly.”
So skrúfa þetta fast means screw this tight / screw this firmly in place.

Why is there a comma after nagla?
The comma separates the two contrasted halves of the sentence (annars vegar …, hins vegar …). It’s standard punctuation when you have two coordinated clauses presenting alternatives/contrast.