Stjórinn reyndi að vera sanngjarn þegar hann hlustaði á báðar hliðarnar.

A close word-for-word breakdown is:

• Stjórinn = the boss / the manager
• reyndi = tried
• að vera = to be
• sanngjarn = fair
• þegar = when
• hann = he
• hlustaði á = listened to
• báðar hliðarnar = both sides

So the structure is basically:

The boss tried to be fair when he listened to both sides.

Even if you already know the meaning, this kind of breakdown helps show how Icelandic builds the sentence piece by piece.

Because -inn is the suffixed definite article, meaning the.

• stjóri = a boss / boss
• stjórinn = the boss

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

Here, stjórinn is in the nominative singular because it is the subject of the sentence.

Reyndi is the past tense of reyna, which means to try.

Basic forms:

• reyna = to try
• hann reynir = he tries
• hann reyndi = he tried

So in this sentence, Stjórinn reyndi... means The boss tried...

Here að is the infinitive marker, equivalent to English to.

• vera = be
• að vera = to be

After a verb like reyna (to try), Icelandic normally uses að + infinitive:

• reyna að vera = try to be
• reyna að skilja = try to understand

So reyndi að vera sanngjarn = tried to be fair.

Because sanngjarn agrees with stjórinn.

In Icelandic, predicate adjectives after vera often match the subject in gender, number, and usually case. Here the subject is:

• stjórinn = masculine singular nominative

So the adjective is also masculine singular nominative:

• masculine: sanngjarn
• feminine: sanngjörn
• neuter: sanngjarnt

Since the boss is grammatically masculine here, sanngjarn is the correct form.

Yes, sanngjarn often means fair, especially in the sense of being reasonable, balanced, or just in how you treat people.

In this sentence, it means the boss was trying to be fair-minded or impartial while hearing both sides.

So it is a very natural adjective here.

Þegar means when and introduces a time clause.

So the sentence has:

• a main clause: Stjórinn reyndi að vera sanngjarn
• a subordinate clause: þegar hann hlustaði á báðar hliðarnar

That subordinate clause tells us when he tried to be fair.

Because after a subordinating conjunction like þegar (when), Icelandic normally uses subordinate clause word order, where the subject comes before the finite verb:

• þegar hann hlustaði... = when he listened...

If this were a main clause, Icelandic often has verb-second word order, but after þegar the structure is more like:

• conjunction + subject + verb

So þegar hann hlustaði is exactly what you would expect.

Very often, yes. Hlusta á means listen to.

Examples:

• hlusta á tónlist = listen to music
• hlusta á kennarann = listen to the teacher
• hlusta á báðar hliðarnar = listen to both sides

So á is an important part of the construction here, just like English to in listen to.

This phrase means both sides.

Here is how it works:

• báðar = feminine accusative plural of báðir (both)
• hliðarnar = the sides, accusative plural definite

Why accusative? Because hlusta á commonly takes the accusative.

Why feminine? Because hlið in this sense is feminine.

So:

• báðar hliðar = both sides
• báðar hliðarnar = both the sides / both sides

In natural English we usually just say both sides, but Icelandic often uses the definite form when talking about two specific, known sides in a dispute or discussion.

Because the sentence refers to two specific sides of a matter already understood in context.

Icelandic commonly uses the definite form with both when talking about a known pair:

• báðir bílarnir = both cars
• báðar hliðarnar = both sides

Using the definite form makes the phrase sound more like both of the two relevant sides. In a sentence about listening before judging, that is very natural.

Yes.

Both verbs are in the past:

• reyndi = tried
• hlustaði = listened

So the sentence describes a past situation: the boss tried to be fair at the time when he listened to both sides.

Not naturally in standard Icelandic.

The clause þegar hann hlustaði á báðar hliðarnar needs its subject, hann (he), because Icelandic does not usually drop subject pronouns the way some other languages do.

So keeping hann is the normal and correct choice here.