Barnið fann stóra skel við bryggjuna og vildi taka hana heim.

Barn means child. Barnið means the child. Icelandic usually attaches the definite article to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.

• barn = child
• barnið = the child

Here barnið is also the subject of the sentence, so it is nominative singular.

Icelandic does not have an indefinite article like English a/an. So where English says a big shell, Icelandic simply says stóra skel.

Indefiniteness is usually understood from context and from the fact that the noun does not have the definite ending.

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

Here, skel is:

• feminine
• singular
• accusative (because it is the direct object of fann)

With an indefinite noun, the adjective normally uses the strong form. The strong feminine singular accusative form of stór is stóra.

Compare:

• stóra skel = a big shell
• stóru skelina = the big shell

Some Icelandic nouns have the same form in more than one case. Skel is the same in nominative singular and accusative singular, so the noun does not visibly change here.

That means the case is easier to see on the adjective:

• stór skel would not fit here
• stóra skel shows that the phrase is accusative feminine singular

Yes. Fann is the 3rd person singular past tense of finna, meaning to find.

Useful forms:

• finna = to find
• finnur = finds
• fann = found

It is an irregular verb, much like English find / found.

Here við means by, at, or near.

The preposition við takes the accusative, so bryggja changes to bryggju. Then the definite article is added to the end:

• bryggja = pier, dock
• bryggju = accusative singular
• bryggjuna = the pier / the dock

So við bryggjuna means by the pier/dock.

Because the subject of the second clause is the same as the first one. Icelandic often leaves out a repeated subject in coordinated clauses when it is obvious.

So:

• Barnið fann ... og vildi ...

naturally means:

• The child found ... and wanted ...

The understood subject of vildi is still barnið.

After vilja (to want), Icelandic normally uses the infinitive without að.

So:

• vill taka = wants to take
• vildi taka = wanted to take

This is a very common verb pattern in Icelandic.

Hana refers back to skel. Even though English would say it, Icelandic uses a pronoun that matches the noun’s grammatical gender. Since skel is feminine, the pronoun is feminine too.

Also, hana is accusative because it is the direct object of taka.

Useful forms of the pronoun:

• hún = she / it (subject form)
• hana = her / it (object form)
• henni = to her / to it

So taka hana heim literally uses feminine grammar because skel is a feminine noun.

Heim is an adverb meaning home or homewards. After verbs of motion, Icelandic often uses it on its own:

• fara heim = go home
• koma heim = come home
• taka hana heim = take it home

A useful contrast is:

• heim = to home, homewards
• heima = at home

The sentence has two coordinated parts:

1. Barnið fann stóra skel við bryggjuna
2. og vildi taka hana heim

In the first part:

• Barnið = subject
• fann = finite verb
• stóra skel = direct object
• við bryggjuna = place phrase

In the second part:

• vildi = finite verb
• taka = infinitive
• hana = object
• heim = direction

So the sentence shows a very common Icelandic pattern: the finite verb comes early, while an infinitive comes later in the clause.