Ég klippi pappírinn áður en ég festi hann með límbandi.

I cut the paper before I fasten it with tape.

Breakdown of Ég klippi pappírinn áður en ég festi hann með límbandi.

• ég: I
• með: with
• áður en: before
• hann: it

Questions & Answers about Ég klippi pappírinn áður en ég festi hann með límbandi.

Why does pappírinn end in -inn?

The ending -inn is the definite article in Icelandic, attached to the noun itself.

• pappír = paper
• pappírinn = the paper

Unlike English, Icelandic usually adds the onto the end of the noun instead of writing it as a separate word.

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Why is it Ég klippi and not Ég klippa?

Because klippa is the infinitive form, meaning to cut, while klippi is the form used with ég (I) in the present tense.

So:

• að klippa = to cut
• ég klippi = I cut / I am cutting

This is a very common pattern in Icelandic verbs:

• að festa → ég festi
• að tala → ég tala

Some verbs change more than others, but here klippa → klippi is just the normal 1st person singular present form.

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What does áður en mean, and how is it used?