Breakdown of Stundum er lítil lygi verri en sannleikurinn.
vera
to be
lítill
small
stundum
sometimes
en
than
Questions & Answers about Stundum er lítil lygi verri en sannleikurinn.
Why does er come right after Stundum instead of after lítil lygi?
Because Icelandic usually follows a verb-second pattern in main clauses. That means the finite verb goes in the second position.
So when Stundum is moved to the front, er has to come next:
Stundum er lítil lygi verri en sannleikurinn.
If you started with the subject instead, you could also say:
Lítil lygi er stundum verri en sannleikurinn.
Both are grammatical, but the first version emphasizes sometimes a bit more.
Why is there no word for a before lítil lygi?
Icelandic normally has no indefinite article. English says a small lie, but Icelandic simply says lítil lygi.
So:
- lítil lygi = a small lie
- sannleikurinn = the truth
Icelandic does have a definite article, but it is usually attached to the end of the noun rather than written as a separate word.
Why is it lítil and not another form like lítill?