Sá sem kemur seint þarf að bíða lengur.

to need

Breakdown of Sá sem kemur seint þarf að bíða lengur.

• seint: late
• lengur: longer
• bíða: to wait

Questions & Answers about Sá sem kemur seint þarf að bíða lengur.

What does Sá sem mean here?

Sá sem is a very common Icelandic pattern meaning the one who, he who, or more naturally in English, whoever.

• sá = that one / he
• sem = a relative word like who / that

So Sá sem kemur seint literally means the one who comes late.

In sentences like this, sá sem is often used in a general sense, not necessarily about one specific male person. It is a standard way to introduce a rule or general statement.

Why is it kemur and not some other form of koma?

Kemur is the 3rd person singular present form of koma (to come).

The subject is Sá sem kemur seint = the one who comes late, which is treated as singular, so the verb must also be singular:

• ég kem = I come
• þú kemur = you come
• hann/hún/það kemur = he/she/it comes

Here, the person is not named directly, but sá functions like a singular subject, so kemur is the correct form.

Why is it þarf and not þurfa?