Ég skil myndbandið betur þegar skjátextinn er á íslensku, jafnvel þótt hljóðneminn hjá konunni sé ekki mjög góður.

Skil is the correct 1st person singular present tense form of the verb að skilja (to understand).

• að skilja = infinitive, to understand
• ég skil = I understand
• þú skilur = you understand
• hann/hún skilur = he/she understands

So Icelandic works like English here: after ég (I), you need the finite verb form skil, not the infinitive skilja.

The ending -ið is the definite article attached to the noun.

• myndband = a video
• myndbandið = the video

Icelandic usually adds the directly to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.

In this sentence, myndbandið is also the object of skil (understand), but for this noun the nominative and accusative forms are the same, so it still looks like myndbandið.

Because betur is the comparative adverb of vel (well), while betra is usually the comparative adjective form of góður (good).

Here the sentence means I understand the video better, and better is describing how you understand, so Icelandic uses the adverb:

• vel = well
• betur = better

Compare:

• Ég skil myndbandið betur. = I understand the video better.
• Þetta er betra myndband. = This is a better video.

So:

• betur = adverb
• betra = adjective

That is a very natural question. Icelandic often uses the singular skjátexti to refer to subtitle text as a system or track, where English normally prefers the plural subtitles.

• skjátexti = subtitle text / subtitle track
• skjátextinn = the subtitles / the subtitle track

So skjátextinn er á íslensku literally looks like the subtitle-text is in Icelandic, but idiomatically it corresponds well to English the subtitles are in Icelandic.

You may also see plural forms in some contexts, but the singular here is perfectly normal.

Because Icelandic uses á in the fixed expression for saying that something is in a language.

• á íslensku = in Icelandic
• á ensku = in English
• á dönsku = in Danish

This is just an idiomatic pattern you need to learn. Even though í often means in, languages are commonly expressed with á in Icelandic.

Also note that íslensku here is the form used after á in this expression.

Þegar means when and introduces a subordinate clause:

• Ég skil myndbandið betur = I understand the video better
• þegar skjátextinn er á íslensku = when the subtitles are in Icelandic

So the whole idea is:

I understand the video better when the subtitles are in Icelandic.

It is a very common conjunction in Icelandic for time clauses.

Jafnvel þótt means even though or even if, depending on context.

In this sentence it means even though:

• jafnvel = even
• þótt = though / although

Together:

• jafnvel þótt ... = even though ...

So:

jafnvel þótt hljóðneminn hjá konunni sé ekki mjög góður = even though the woman’s microphone is not very good

This is a very useful expression for introducing a contrast.

Because þótt often triggers the subjunctive mood in Icelandic.

• er = indicative present of vera (is)
• sé = subjunctive present of vera

After conjunctions like þótt (though / although), Icelandic frequently uses the subjunctive, especially in more careful or standard language.

So:

• þótt ... sé = although ... is

This is one of the most important places where learners notice the subjunctive in Icelandic.

A simple way to remember it:

• after þótt, expect sé rather than er

Hjá often means something like at, with, or by depending on context.

Here, hljóðneminn hjá konunni means the microphone belonging to / used by the woman, or more naturally in English, the woman’s microphone.

So:

• hjá konunni = with/by the woman
• hljóðneminn hjá konunni = the woman’s microphone

This is a common Icelandic way to identify something by associating it with a person.

Because hjá takes the dative case, and konunni is the dative singular definite form of kona (woman).

Here are the relevant forms:

• kona = a woman
• konan = the woman
• konu = a woman / woman (accusative or dative indefinite, depending on context)
• konunni = the woman (dative)

Since the phrase is hjá konunni, the noun must be in the dative.

This is very typical in Icelandic: prepositions often control a specific case, and you have to learn which one each preposition takes.

Because góður must agree with hljóðneminn, and hljóðnemi (microphone) is a masculine noun.

So the adjective must also be masculine singular:

• masculine: góður
• feminine: góð
• neuter: gott

Since the subject is hljóðneminn (the microphone), the correct form is:

• hljóðneminn er ekki mjög góður = the microphone is not very good

If the noun were neuter, then gott would be possible; if feminine, góð.

That order is normal in Icelandic.

• ekki = not
• mjög = very
• góður = good

So:

• ekki mjög góður = not very good

The negation ekki comes before the degree adverb mjög, and both come before the adjective they modify.

This is very similar to English word order:

• not very good

So this part is actually quite learner-friendly.

Yes, exactly. That is the natural reading.

The structure is:

• main idea: Ég skil myndbandið betur
• condition/time frame: þegar skjátextinn er á íslensku
• contrast: jafnvel þótt hljóðneminn hjá konunni sé ekki mjög góður

So the speaker is saying that Icelandic subtitles help them understand the video better, and this remains true even though the woman’s microphone quality is poor.

In other words, the subtitles make comprehension easier despite the weak audio.