Ég skil þetta orðasamband betur núna.

A word-by-word breakdown looks like this:

• Ég = I
• skil = understand / am understanding
• þetta = this
• orðasamband = phrase, expression, literally something like word-combination
• betur = better
• núna = now

So the structure is:

• subject: Ég
• verb: skil
• object: þetta orðasamband
• adverb: betur
• time adverb: núna

It is a very normal Icelandic sentence pattern: Subject + Verb + Object + Adverb + Time expression.

Because skil is the 1st person singular present tense of the verb að skilja (to understand).

Present tense of að skilja:

• ég skil = I understand
• þú skilur = you understand
• hann / hún / það skilur = he / she / it understands
• við skiljum = we understand
• þið skiljið = you all understand
• þeir / þær / þau skilja = they understand

So with Ég, the correct form is skil.

Because þetta has to agree with orðasamband in gender, number, and case.

• orðasamband is neuter singular
• here it is the direct object
• for this noun, the form of this is þetta

So:

• þessi is often used with masculine/feminine nouns in some forms
• þetta is used with neuter singular

Since orðasamband is neuter, þetta orðasamband means this phrase/expression.

It is in the accusative, because it is the direct object of skil.

The verb að skilja usually takes an object in the accusative:

• Ég skil þetta. = I understand this.
• Ég skil orðið. = I understand the word.
• Ég skil þetta orðasamband. = I understand this phrase.

A useful thing to know is that many neuter singular nouns and pronouns look the same in the nominative and accusative, so þetta orðasamband looks the same in both.

Orðasamband usually means a phrase, expression, or combination of words.

It is a compound noun:

• orð = word
• samband = connection, relation, combination

So orðasamband is literally something like word-connection or word-combination.

Depending on context, it can refer to:

• a phrase
• an expression
• a set combination of words
• sometimes an idiomatic expression

Because betur is the comparative adverb meaning better.

This is related to vel (well), and it is irregular:

• vel = well
• betur = better
• best = best

With verbs like skilja (to understand), Icelandic often uses the adverb:

• Ég skil þetta vel. = I understand this well.
• Ég skil þetta betur. = I understand this better.

So betur modifies the verb skil. It tells you how well the understanding happens.

That word order is very natural in Icelandic.

• betur describes the manner: better
• núna gives the time: now

So the sentence moves from the action to how it is done, then to when:

• Ég skil þetta orðasamband betur núna.

This feels similar to English I understand this expression better now.

You may hear other word orders too, especially for emphasis, but this version is straightforward and idiomatic.

Yes. In many contexts, nú and núna can both mean now.

So these are both possible:

• Ég skil þetta orðasamband betur nú.
• Ég skil þetta orðasamband betur núna.

Very roughly:

• nú can sound a little shorter or slightly more neutral/formal in some contexts
• núna is extremely common in everyday speech

In this sentence, both work well.

No. Að skilja can have more than one meaning.

Common meanings include:

• to understand
• to separate
• in some contexts, to leave behind

But in this sentence, because the object is þetta orðasamband (this phrase/expression), the meaning is clearly understand.

This is normal in Icelandic: one verb can have several meanings, and context tells you which one is intended.

A few key points:

• þ is pronounced like th in thing, not like th in this
• e is like a short e
• the tt is pronounced as a double consonant
• final a is a short vowel sound

A rough English-friendly approximation is:

• THET-ta

But remember that Icelandic pronunciation is more precise than English spelling can show. The most important point for learners is that þ is the unvoiced th sound, like in thin.

A rough pronunciation guide for an English speaker could be:

• yeg skihl THET-ta orth-a-sam-band BEH-tur NOO-na

A few important details:

• Ég begins with a sound somewhat like yehg
• skil has an i like in bit, not like English skill
• þetta starts with th as in thin
• ð in orðasamband is not pronounced like English d; in many contexts it sounds closer to a soft voiced sound, though pronunciation can vary depending on position and speed
• r is usually a tapped or trilled Icelandic r
• stress is normally on the first syllable of each word

If you want to sound more natural, focus first on:

1. correct þ in þetta
2. short vowels
3. stress on the first syllable

Usually no, not in this form.

Without þetta, the noun would normally need a different form depending on what you mean:

• Ég skil þetta orðasamband betur núna. = I understand this phrase better now.
• Ég skil orðasambandið betur núna. = I understand the phrase better now.
• Ég skil orðasambönd betur núna. = I understand phrases better now.

So orðasamband by itself would usually sound incomplete here unless it appears in a special context.

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

Compare:

• orðasamband = a phrase / phrase
• orðasambandið = the phrase

But in your sentence, the speaker uses þetta orðasamband = this phrase, so there is no need for the definite ending.

That gives you a useful contrast:

• þetta orðasamband = this phrase
• orðasambandið = the phrase

Not directly. The Icelandic sentence simply says:

• Ég skil ... betur núna = I understand ... better now

It does not explicitly include can.

Of course, in English, I understand it better now and I can understand it better now may be very close in meaning depending on context. But grammatically, the Icelandic sentence is just using the ordinary present tense of að skilja.

Yes. skil is present tense: I understand.

The word betur shows comparison, and núna shows that the current situation has changed. So the sentence implies something like:

• before, I did not understand it as well
• now, I understand it better

But the actual tense is still just present.