Eftir að við smíðum borðið þurfum við að sópa gólfið.

After we build the table, we need to sweep the floor.

Breakdown of Eftir að við smíðum borðið þurfum við að sópa gólfið.

• við: we
• borðið: the table
• þurfa: to need
• gólfið: the floor
• eftir að: after
• smíða: to build
• sópa: to sweep

Questions & Answers about Eftir að við smíðum borðið þurfum við að sópa gólfið.

Why does the sentence start with Eftir að and not just eftir?

Eftir að is a conjunction meaning after (that) and it introduces a full subordinate clause with a finite verb: Eftir að við smíðum borðið (After we build the table).
Plain eftir is a preposition and would normally be followed by a noun phrase (often in the dative), not a full clause.

Why is the verb smíðum in the present tense even though it’s something that will happen first (in the future)?

Icelandic often uses the present tense to talk about future events when the context makes the timing clear.
So Eftir að við smíðum borðið can naturally mean After we (have) build/built the table in the sense of “after we finish building it.”

Could I also say Eftir að við höfum smíðað borðið? What’s the difference?

Yes.

• Eftir að við smíðum borðið = present used with future meaning; common and natural.
• Eftir að við höfum smíðað borðið = present perfect, more explicitly “after we have built the table,” emphasizing completion before the next action.

Why does the word order change in þurfum við instead of við þurfum?

Icelandic follows a V2 (verb-second) pattern in main clauses: the finite verb is typically the second element.
Because the sentence begins with the subordinate clause Eftir að við smíðum borðið, that whole clause counts as the first element, so the main clause must start with the verb:

• Eftir að ... , þurfum við ... (verb before subject)

Do I have to repeat við in both clauses?

Yes in normal Icelandic. Each clause needs its own subject:

• Eftir að við smíðum ... (subordinate clause)
• þurfum við ... (main clause)
  You generally don’t drop the subject the way English sometimes can in coordinated structures.

What exactly is the að doing in þurfum við að sópa gólfið?

That að is an infinitive marker (similar to English to).
The verb þurfa (to need) commonly takes að + infinitive:

• þurfa að sópa = need to sweep

Can að be omitted after þurfa?

Sometimes you’ll see omission in certain styles or fixed expressions, but the safe, standard learning rule is:

• use þurfa að + infinitive (as in this sentence).

Why is it borðið and not borð or borðinu?

borðið is borð (table, neuter) with the definite article attached (the table) in the accusative singular, because it’s the direct object of smíða (build).

• borð = an/any table (indefinite)
• borðinu would be dative (“to/at the table”), not what smíða needs here.

Why is it gólfið and not gólfinu?

Same idea: gólfið is the floor in the accusative singular, functioning as the direct object of sópa (sweep).
gólfinu would be dative and would typically appear with meanings like “on the floor / at the floor” depending on the construction.

What are the dictionary forms of the verbs here?

• smíðum → smíða (to build / construct / make, often by woodworking)
• þurfum → þurfa (to need)
• sópa is already the infinitive (to sweep)

How do I know smíðum and þurfum mean “we”?

They are 1st person plural present forms:

• (við) smíðum = we build/are building
• (við) þurfum = we need
  Icelandic verb endings strongly signal person/number, but the subject við is still normally expressed.

Is there anything special about pronunciation/spelling in Eftir, þurfum, and gólfið?

A few common points learners ask about:

• þ is like English th in think (voiceless). So þurfum starts with that sound.
• Eftir: ft is clearly pronounced; the r is Icelandic (often tapped/rolled).
• ó in gólfið is a long o-type vowel (not like English “off”); and ð is often very soft (sometimes like a voiced th, sometimes reduced depending on position).