Hann reyndi að spyrna varlega, en dómarinn flautaði of snemma.

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Breakdown of Hann reyndi að spyrna varlega, en dómarinn flautaði of snemma.

• reyna: to try
• en: but
• of: too

Questions & Answers about Hann reyndi að spyrna varlega, en dómarinn flautaði of snemma.

What does reyndi að + infinitive mean here?

Reyndi að means tried to. The verb is reyna = to try, and after it Icelandic normally uses að plus an infinitive:

• reyna að lesa = try to read
• reyna að sofa = try to sleep

So Hann reyndi að spyrna means He tried to kick.

Why is there að before spyrna?

Here að is the infinitive marker, like English to in to kick.

• spyrna = kick
• að spyrna = to kick

After many verbs, Icelandic uses this pattern:

• hann vill fara = he wants to go
• hann reyndi að fara = he tried to go

So in this sentence, að is not the preposition to in a directional sense; it is just part of the infinitive construction.

What exactly does spyrna mean here?

In this sentence, spyrna means to kick. In sports contexts, that is a very natural meaning.

Be aware that spyrna can also appear in other expressions, especially with particles or prepositions, where the meaning can shift a bit, for example toward push with the feet or resist. But here, with no object stated, it simply means something like kick.