Hann tekur sér stutt hlé eftir vinnu.

He takes a short break after work.

Breakdown of Hann tekur sér stutt hlé eftir vinnu.

• hann: he
• taka: to take
• vinna: the work
• eftir: after

Questions & Answers about Hann tekur sér stutt hlé eftir vinnu.

Why is it tekur and not taka?

Taka is the dictionary form, meaning to take.

In the sentence, the verb has to match hann (he), so it becomes tekur, which is the 3rd person singular present tense:

• ég tek = I take
• þú tekur = you take
• hann tekur = he takes

So Hann tekur means He takes.

Also, taka is an irregular verb, so its forms are worth memorizing.

What is sér doing in this sentence?

Sér is a reflexive pronoun, and here it means something like for himself.

So the structure is roughly:

• Hann tekur sér hlé = He takes himself a break
  or more naturally in English, He takes a break

In Icelandic, this is a very common pattern. Compare:

• Hún kaupir sér kaffi = She buys herself coffee
• Ég fæ mér vatn = I get myself some water

So in tekur sér stutt hlé, the sér adds the idea that he is taking the break for himself.

Why is the form sér used, and what case is it?