Ég tek skelina upp úr töskunni.

I take the shell out of the bag.

Breakdown of Ég tek skelina upp úr töskunni.

• ég: I
• taka: to take
• taskan: the bag
• upp úr: out of

Questions & Answers about Ég tek skelina upp úr töskunni.

Why is the verb tek and not taka?

Because tek is the conjugated present-tense form of the verb taka for ég.

• taka = the infinitive, to take
• ég tek = I take
• þú tekur = you take
• hann/hún/það tekur = he/she/it takes

So Icelandic changes the verb form depending on the subject, much more than English usually does.

Is this sentence really in the present tense, even though English might say I am taking?

Yes. Icelandic often uses the simple present where English might use either the simple present or the present continuous.

So Ég tek skelina upp úr töskunni can mean something like:

• I take the shell out of the bag
• I am taking the shell out of the bag

The exact feel depends on context.

What does upp úr mean here? Why are there two words?

Here, úr is the preposition that means out of / from inside.
The word upp is a particle that often goes with verbs like taka in expressions of removing or lifting something out.

So:

• úr töskunni = out of the bag
• taka ... upp úr ... = take ... out of ...

In natural English, you usually would not translate upp separately. It is part of the Icelandic expression.