Ef ég sit inni í bátnum, verð ég ekki eins sjóveikur.

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Breakdown of Ef ég sit inni í bátnum, verð ég ekki eins sjóveikur.

• ekki: not
• sitja: to sit
• ef: if

Questions & Answers about Ef ég sit inni í bátnum, verð ég ekki eins sjóveikur.

Why is it verð ég and not ég verð after the ef-clause?

This is because Icelandic is a verb-second (V2) language in main clauses.

When the sentence begins with a subordinate clause like Ef ég sit inni í bátnum (If I sit inside the boat), that whole clause takes the first position. Then, in the main clause, the finite verb comes next:

• Ef ég sit inni í bátnum, verð ég ekki eins sjóveikur.

So the order is:

• first element: Ef ég sit inni í bátnum
• second position: verð
• then subject: ég

If the sentence started directly with the main clause, you would say:

• Ég verð ekki eins sjóveikur.

Both are normal; the word order changes because something else comes first.

Why does verð mean will be here? Doesn’t verða usually mean become?

Yes, verða basically means become, but it is also very commonly used where English would say will be.

So:

• verð ég ekki eins sjóveikur
  literally: I do not become as seasick
• natural English: I won’t be as seasick

Icelandic often uses verða for a change of state or result. In this sentence, the idea is that if I sit inside the boat, the result is that I end up less seasick.