Ég hreinsa lyklaborðið áður en ég byrja að vinna, því það er skítugt.

I clean the keyboard before I start working, because it is dirty.

Breakdown of Ég hreinsa lyklaborðið áður en ég byrja að vinna, því það er skítugt.

• ég: I
• vera: to be
• það: it
• vinna: to work

Questions & Answers about Ég hreinsa lyklaborðið áður en ég byrja að vinna, því það er skítugt.

Why is it lyklaborðið and not just lyklaborð?

Because lyklaborðið means the keyboard, while lyklaborð means a keyboard or just keyboard in a general sense.

Icelandic usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.

• lyklaborð = keyboard
• lyklaborðið = the keyboard

So in this sentence, the speaker is talking about a specific keyboard.

What case is lyklaborðið, and why?

It is the accusative singular, because it is the direct object of hreinsa.

The verb hreinsa means to clean, and the thing being cleaned is the object:

• Ég hreinsa lyklaborðið = I clean the keyboard

A useful detail: for many neuter singular nouns, the nominative and accusative forms are the same, so even though it is accusative here, it looks the same as nominative.

What does áður en mean, and how does it work?

Áður en means before when followed by a full clause.

So:

• áður en ég byrja að vinna = before I start working

This is different from just using a simple preposition before a noun phrase. Here, áður en introduces another clause with its own subject and verb:

• ég = subject
• byrja = finite verb