Ef þú misskilur mig aftur, skal ég útskýra þetta nánar.

I

Breakdown of Ef þú misskilur mig aftur, skal ég útskýra þetta nánar.

• þú: you
• mig: me
• þetta: this

Questions & Answers about Ef þú misskilur mig aftur, skal ég útskýra þetta nánar.

Why does the sentence begin with Ef?

Ef means if and introduces a conditional clause.

So Ef þú misskilur mig aftur = If you misunderstand me again.

In Icelandic, it is very common to put the if-clause first, just like in English.

What does misskilur mean, and how is it built?

Misskilur means misunderstand(s).

It comes from the verb að misskilja = to misunderstand.

You can think of it as:

• mis- / miss- = wrong, wrongly
• skilja = understand

So misskilja is literally something like understand wrongly.

In the sentence, misskilur is the present tense form used with þú:

• þú misskilur = you misunderstand

Why is it þú misskilur and not some other verb form?

Because þú means you (singular, informal), and Icelandic verbs change depending on the subject.

Here:

• ég misskil = I misunderstand
• þú misskilur = you misunderstand
• hann/hún/það misskilur = he/she/it misunderstands

So misskilur is the correct present-tense form for þú.

Why is it mig and not ég?