Eftir hringtorgið beygir þú til hægri, og skólinn er þá á vinstri hönd.

Breakdown of Eftir hringtorgið beygir þú til hægri, og skólinn er þá á vinstri hönd.

vera
to be
þú
you
skólinn
the school
og
and
eftir
after
þá
then
beygja
to turn
hringtorgið
the roundabout
til hægri
right
á vinstri hönd
on the left

Questions & Answers about Eftir hringtorgið beygir þú til hægri, og skólinn er þá á vinstri hönd.

Why is the word order beygir þú instead of þú beygir?

Because Icelandic main clauses usually follow a verb-second pattern. Here, the sentence starts with Eftir hringtorgið (after the roundabout), so the finite verb beygir comes next, and the subject þú follows it.

So:

  • Eftir hringtorgið beygir þú til hægri = natural word order
  • Þú beygir til hægri eftir hringtorgið = also possible, but structured differently
What does eftir hringtorgið mean exactly?

It means after the roundabout or once you have passed the roundabout.

In directions, eftir is often used to locate what happens next in a route. So this phrase tells you that the right turn happens after you reach or pass the roundabout.

Why is hringtorgið one word?

Because Icelandic very often makes compound nouns by joining words together.

Here:

  • hringur = ring, circle
  • torg = square / open space

Together, hringtorg means roundabout. Then -ið is added to mean the, giving hringtorgið = the roundabout.

What does the -ið in hringtorgið mean?

It is the definite article, attached to the end of the noun. Icelandic usually says the by adding it as a suffix rather than using a separate word.

So:

  • hringtorg = a roundabout
  • hringtorgið = the roundabout

This is very common in Icelandic:

  • skóli = school
  • skólinn = the school
Is this sentence really giving an instruction, even though it just says you turn?

Yes. Icelandic often uses the present tense with þú in directions and instructions.

So beygir þú til hægri literally looks like you turn right, but in context it functions like:

  • turn right
  • you should turn right
  • you then turn right

English does something similar in route descriptions: You go straight, then you turn left.

What does til hægri mean, and should I learn it as a phrase?

Yes — it is best to learn til hægri as a fixed expression meaning to the right or right in movement/direction.

It is especially common with verbs of turning or movement:

  • beygja til hægri = turn right
  • fara til hægri = go to the right

So in this sentence, beygir þú til hægri means you turn right.

What does þá mean here?

Þá means then, at that point, or after that.

It links the second part of the directions to the first part:

  • first you pass the roundabout
  • then you turn right
  • then / at that point the school is on your left

So it helps show sequence.

Why is it skólinn and not skóli?

Because the sentence is talking about the school, not just a school.

  • skóli = school
  • skólinn = the school

In directions, Icelandic often uses the definite form when the place is understood to be a specific landmark.

What does á vinstri hönd mean literally?

Literally, it means on the left hand.

But as a normal expression, it means:

  • on the left
  • on your left-hand side

This is an idiomatic phrase in Icelandic, so it is best to understand it as a chunk: á vinstri hönd = on the left-hand side.

Why does the sentence use á vinstri hönd instead of til vinstri?

Because the sentence is describing location, not direction of movement.

  • til vinstri = to the left / leftward
    Used when someone moves or turns left.
  • á vinstri hönd = on the left-hand side
    Used when something is located on your left.

So:

  • Beygðu til vinstri = Turn left
  • Húsið er á vinstri hönd = The house is on the left
Do I need to worry about prepositions and cases in phrases like eftir hringtorgið, til hægri, and á vinstri hönd?

Eventually yes, because Icelandic prepositions often affect the form of the noun that follows them. But for a learner, the most useful approach at first is to learn these as set phrases:

  • eftir hringtorgið
  • til hægri
  • á vinstri hönd

That is often more practical than trying to analyze every ending immediately, especially because some forms are idiomatic or look the same as other cases.

Could this also be said with an imperative, like Turn right?

Yes. A more direct command would use the imperative, for example:

  • Eftir hringtorgið beygðu til hægri.

That means After the roundabout, turn right.

But the version with beygir þú is also very natural in directions. It sounds like a neutral route description: you turn right.

Why is there a comma before og?

Because the sentence contains two coordinated main clauses:

  • Eftir hringtorgið beygir þú til hægri
  • skólinn er þá á vinstri hönd

In Icelandic, it is common to separate this kind of structure with a comma, even before og when both sides are full clauses with their own verbs.

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