Varaliturinn hennar er rauður í dag, þó að kjóllinn sé blár.

In Icelandic, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun, not written as a separate word like English the.

• varalitur = lipstick / lip color

• varaliturinn = the lipstick / the lip color

• kjóll = dress
• kjóllinn = the dress

The ending -inn here is the masculine singular nominative definite ending.

Varalitur literally means lip color. In real use, it can mean:

• lipstick
• the color on someone’s lips
• sometimes more generally lip makeup

So Varaliturinn hennar can be understood as her lipstick or her lip color, depending on context.

That is a very normal Icelandic way to express possession.

• varaliturinn hennar = her lipstick / her lip color
• kjóllinn hennar = her dress

Hennar is the genitive form meaning her. Icelandic often puts possessive words after the noun, especially in phrases like this.

So instead of copying English word order exactly, Icelandic often does:

• noun + possessive

rather than

• possessive + noun

Hennar is genitive. Icelandic uses the genitive form of pronouns for possession.

For example:

• hún = she
• hana = her (object)
• henni = her (indirect object)
• hennar = her / hers (possessive)

So in this sentence, hennar means her in the possessive sense.

A useful rule is that Icelandic compound nouns usually take the gender of their final element.

• vara = lip
• litur = color

Because litur is masculine, varalitur is also masculine.

That is why the definite form is varaliturinn, and why the adjective is rauður.

Because predicate adjectives in Icelandic agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case.

Here:

• varaliturinn is masculine singular nominative
• so the adjective is rauður

And:

• kjóllinn is masculine singular nominative
• so the adjective is blár

Compare:

• masculine: rauður, blár
• feminine: rauð, blá
• neuter: rautt, blátt

So the adjective form changes to match the noun.

Both come from the verb vera = to be, but they are in different moods.

• er = present indicative
• sé = present subjunctive

The main clause uses the normal indicative:

• Varaliturinn hennar er rauður í dag
  = Her lipstick is red today

After þó að meaning although / even though, Icelandic commonly uses the subjunctive:

• þó að kjóllinn sé blár
  = although the dress is blue

So sé appears because the clause after þó að is a subordinate clause that typically takes the subjunctive.

In standard Icelandic, þó að very commonly introduces a subjunctive clause, especially in careful or formal language.

So learners should get used to patterns like:

• þó að hann sé þreyttur = although he is tired
• þó að það rigni = although it is raining

In everyday language you may sometimes hear variation, but for learning purposes, it is safest to expect þó að + subjunctive.

It means although, even though, or sometimes though.

It introduces a contrast:

• Varaliturinn hennar er rauður í dag
• þó að kjóllinn sé blár

So the sentence contrasts the red lipstick with the blue dress.

You should learn þó að as a fixed expression.

Because after a subordinating conjunction like þó að, Icelandic normally uses subordinate-clause word order, where the subject usually comes before the finite verb.

So:

• þó að kjóllinn sé blár
  = although the dress is blue

In main clauses, Icelandic often follows the verb-second rule, but subordinate clauses do not behave the same way. That is why the order here looks more like standard English subordinate clause order.

Í dag means today.

Literally, it is something like in day, but you should learn it as a fixed time expression.

Examples:

• í dag = today
• á morgun = tomorrow
• í gær = yesterday

So rauður í dag means red today.

Yes. Icelandic often uses commas before subordinate clauses more regularly than English does.

So a sentence like this:

• Varaliturinn hennar er rauður í dag, þó að kjóllinn sé blár.

looks completely normal in Icelandic punctuation.

Yes. Both are possible, depending on context.

Because varalitur can mean either:

• lipstick
• lip color

If the context is makeup, lipstick is often the most natural English translation. If the focus is more on color rather than the cosmetic product itself, lip color can be better.