Ég sæki þig eftir vinnu.

Sækja is the infinitive, meaning to fetch / to pick up / to seek, depending on context.

In the sentence, sæki is the 1st person singular present tense form, so it means I fetch / I pick up.

So:

• að sækja = to pick up
• ég sæki = I pick up

Icelandic verbs change form depending on the subject, so you cannot normally leave the verb in the infinitive the way English sometimes can in very simple glosses.

Because þig is the object form of you.

Compare:

• þú = you as the subject
• þig = you as the object

In this sentence, I am doing the action, and you are the person being picked up, so Icelandic uses the object form:

• Ég sæki þig = I pick you up

This is similar to English:

• you see me
• ég sé þig

English does not distinguish you vs. you, but Icelandic does.

Here, sækja means to pick someone up or to fetch someone.

This verb can have several related meanings depending on context, such as:

• fetch
• pick up
• collect
• sometimes seek or apply for

In Ég sæki þig eftir vinnu, the natural meaning is I’ll pick you up after work or I pick you up after work.

So even if you may have seen sækja translated elsewhere as seek, that is not the most natural meaning in this sentence.

Icelandic often uses the present tense for a planned or arranged future action, just like English can.

So Ég sæki þig eftir vinnu is literally present tense, but in normal use it often means:

• I’m picking you up after work
• I’ll pick you up after work

This is very common when talking about something scheduled or intended.

Because the preposition eftir requires the dative case in this meaning.

The noun vinna means work, but after eftir it changes to the dative form:

• nominative: vinna
• dative: vinnu

So:

• eftir vinnu = after work

This is an example of how prepositions in Icelandic often control a specific grammatical case.

Both are possible, but they are not exactly the same in feel.

• eftir vinnu = after work in a general, idiomatic sense
• eftir vinnuna = after the work or more naturally after work with a more specific/definite sense, often referring to a particular work shift or workday already understood in context

In many everyday expressions, Icelandic often leaves out the article where English might also say something general:

• eftir skóla = after school
• eftir vinnu = after work

So eftir vinnu sounds very natural and idiomatic here.

Yes, Icelandic word order is somewhat flexible, though Ég sæki þig eftir vinnu is the most neutral order.

You could also say:

• Eftir vinnu sæki ég þig = After work, I’ll pick you up

That version puts more emphasis on after work.

The basic structure of the original sentence is:

• Ég = subject
• sæki = verb
• þig = object
• eftir vinnu = time expression

So the original word order is very straightforward and natural.

The letter þ is pronounced like the th in thin, not like the th in this.

So þig begins with that voiceless th sound.

A rough guide for English speakers is something like:

• þig ≈ thihg

But the exact Icelandic sound is not identical to English, especially the final consonant, and pronunciation can vary slightly in connected speech.

The important point for learners is:

• þ = th as in thin
• not a t
• not a d

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• sæki ≈ sigh-ki or syeh-ki, depending on how detailed the approximation is

A few things to notice:

• æ in Icelandic is a distinct vowel sound, not the same as English a
• kj in Icelandic often sounds somewhat like a soft ky sound to English ears

English spelling cannot represent it perfectly, but if you learn it by listening, it becomes much easier.

Not necessarily, but that is often the most natural interpretation.

It can mean:

• I’ll pick you up
• I’ll come get you
• I’ll fetch you

Whether that means by car, on foot, or in some other way depends on context.

So the sentence itself does not specify the method. It just says that the speaker will go and get the other person after work.