Ef ég fæ skilaboðin í dag, þá svara ég strax.

Ef means if.

Here it introduces the condition:

Ef ég fæ skilaboðin í dag = If I get the message today

So the sentence has two parts:

• the if-clause: Ef ég fæ skilaboðin í dag
• the main/result clause: þá svara ég strax

This is a very common Icelandic pattern for conditional sentences.

Fæ is the 1st person singular present tense form of the verb fá = to get / to receive.

So:

• ég fæ = I get
• þú færð = you get
• hann/hún/það fær = he/she/it gets

It is an irregular verb, so the form does not look exactly like the infinitive fá.

In this sentence, ég fæ means I get / I receive.

Icelandic often uses the present tense where English would use the future.

So:

• Ef ég fæ skilaboðin í dag, þá svara ég strax.

can naturally mean:

• If I get the message today, I’ll answer right away.

Icelandic does not have a separate future tense ending like English will. Future meaning is often shown by:

• context
• time words such as í dag = today
• the situation itself

So even though the verbs are grammatically present, the meaning can clearly be future.

Because -in is the definite article attached to the noun.

• skilaboð = message(s)
• skilaboðin = the message / the messages

In Icelandic, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun rather than written as a separate word like English the.

So skilaboðin literally means something like the message(s).

This is a very common learner question.

Skilaboð is grammatically a plural noun in Icelandic. Very often, Icelandic uses this plural form where English might use either:

• a message
• the message
• messages

So skilaboðin can mean either the message or the messages, depending on context.

That may feel strange to an English speaker, but it is normal Icelandic usage.

Þá means then here.

It helps mark the result part of the sentence:

• Ef ..., þá ...
• If ..., then ...

So:

• Ef ég fæ skilaboðin í dag, þá svara ég strax.
• If I get the message today, then I’ll answer right away.

It is not strictly necessary. You can also say:

• Ef ég fæ skilaboðin í dag, svara ég strax.

That is also natural Icelandic. Adding þá just makes the connection between condition and result a little clearer or more explicit.

Because Icelandic usually follows a verb-second pattern in main clauses.

That means the finite verb normally comes in the second position.

In þá svara ég strax:

• þá is the first element
• svara is the finite verb, so it comes second
• ég comes after the verb

So the order is:

• þá svara ég
• not þá ég svara

This is a very important Icelandic word-order rule.

For the same reason: verb-second word order.

When something else comes first in the clause, the verb usually moves before the subject.

Compare:

• Ég svara strax. = I answer right away.
• Þá svara ég strax. = Then I answer right away.

And after a fronted subordinate clause:

• Ef ég fæ skilaboðin í dag, svara ég strax.

Here the whole if-clause takes the first position, so the main clause begins with the verb svara, and the subject ég comes after it.

Because the sentence begins with a subordinate clause:

• Ef ég fæ skilaboðin í dag

and then moves to the main clause:

• þá svara ég strax

In Icelandic, it is normal to separate that opening subordinate clause from the main clause with a comma. The comma helps show where the if-clause ends.

In this sentence, the object is simply left understood from context.

So svara ég strax means I answer right away or I reply right away, with the thing being answered already obvious from skilaboðin.

Also, Icelandic svara does not work exactly like English answer. If you do include what is being answered, svara normally takes the dative:

• Ég svara þeim strax. = I answer them right away.
• Ég svara skilaboðunum strax. = I answer the message(s) right away.

Notice:

• skilaboðin = nominative/accusative definite
• skilaboðunum = dative definite

So this verb behaves differently from English.

Í dag means today, and here it modifies fæ:

• Ef ég fæ skilaboðin í dag = If I get the message today

Its position is very natural and neutral here. It comes after skilaboðin and gives the time for receiving the message.

You could move time expressions in some contexts for emphasis, but this version is a standard, everyday word order.

Strax means right away / immediately / at once.

Placing it at the end is very natural in Icelandic:

• þá svara ég strax

This gives a smooth, neutral rhythm and puts the final emphasis on how quickly the speaker will respond.

Very roughly:

• þ is like th in think
• á sounds roughly like ow in now
• æ sounds roughly like eye

So:

• þá ≈ thow
• fæ ≈ fye

These are only rough English approximations, but they are a useful starting point for learners.