Questions & Answers about Mér er illt í olnboganum eftir vinnu.
Why does the sentence start with mér instead of ég?
Because Icelandic often expresses physical discomfort with an impersonal construction.
- mér = to me / for me (dative of ég)
- er = is
- illt = painful / bad / sore
So Mér er illt is literally something like To me it is painful.
In English, we usually say I have pain or my elbow hurts, but Icelandic often uses this different pattern. So ég er illt would not be correct here.
What does Mér er illt mean as a whole?
As a chunk, mér er illt means I am in pain, it hurts, or I feel sore/painful.
It is a very common Icelandic way to talk about pain or discomfort. The body part can then be added with í:
- Mér er illt í bakinu = My back hurts
- Mér er illt í höfðinu = I have a headache / My head hurts
- Mér er illt í olnboganum = My elbow hurts
So it is best to learn mér er illt as a useful expression, not just word by word.
Why is it illt and not illur, ill, or illa?