Skanninn virkar ekki núna, svo ég tek mynd af síðunni í staðinn.

Skanni means a scanner.

Skanninn means the scanner. Icelandic usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.

So:

• skanni = a scanner
• skanninn = the scanner

Here, the sentence is talking about a specific scanner, so skanninn is used.

Virkar is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb að virka, which means to work, to function, or to operate.

So:

• að virka = to work / to function
• hann/hún/það virkar = it works

Since skanninn is grammatically treated as a singular noun, Icelandic uses the singular verb form:

• Skanninn virkar ekki = The scanner doesn’t work / isn’t working

In ordinary Icelandic main clauses, the negative word ekki usually comes after the finite verb.

So the normal order is:

• verb + ekki

Examples:

• Ég skil ekki. = I do not understand.
• Hann kemur ekki. = He is not coming.
• Skanninn virkar ekki. = The scanner is not working.

This is one of the most important word-order patterns in Icelandic.

Both nú and núna can mean now.

In many everyday contexts, they are interchangeable, though núna often sounds a little more conversational or emphatic in modern speech.

So here:

• núna = now / right now

Skanninn virkar ekki núna means the scanner is not working at the moment.

Here svo means so in the sense of therefore or as a result.

So the sentence structure is:

• Skanninn virkar ekki núna = The scanner isn’t working now
• svo ég tek mynd... = so I take a picture...

Be careful: svo can also have other meanings in Icelandic depending on context, such as then, very/so, or part of other expressions. But here it is simply a conjunction meaning so.

Because tek is the correct present-tense form of the irregular verb að taka (to take).

The infinitive is:

• að taka = to take

But the present tense changes:

• ég tek = I take
• þú tekur = you take
• hann/hún/það tekur = he/she/it takes

So ég tek mynd means I take a picture.

This is an irregular verb, so the stem changes from tak- to tek- in the present tense.

It can mean any of those depending on context.

In Icelandic, the present tense is often used for:

• general present: I take
• immediate present: I’m taking
• near future: I’ll take

In this sentence, because the scanner is not working now, the most natural English translation is often:

• So I’ll take a picture of the page instead or
• So I’m taking a picture of the page instead

So even though tek is grammatically present tense, the meaning can feel future-like in English.

Icelandic uses the expression að taka mynd af einhverju/einhverjum, which literally means to take a picture of something/someone.

So:

• taka mynd = take a picture
• af = of
• taka mynd af síðunni = take a picture of the page

This is just the normal Icelandic construction. English uses of, and Icelandic uses af.

Because the preposition af governs the dative case, and síðunni is the dative singular definite form of síða (page).

Here is the breakdown:

• síða = a page
• síðan = the page (nominative)
• síðu = page (accusative/dative indefinite form, depending on context)
• síðunni = the page (dative definite)

Since the phrase is af síðunni (of the page / from the page), dative is required.

So:

• mynd af síðu = a picture of a page
• mynd af síðunni = a picture of the page

Í staðinn means instead.

Literally, it is related to the idea of in its place or in place of that.

In this sentence:

• ...í staðinn = ...instead

So the whole idea is:

• The scanner isn’t working, so I’ll take a picture of the page instead.

A useful thing to remember is that í staðinn often appears as a fixed expression meaning instead, even when English would not think of any literal place.

Yes. The second clause follows normal Icelandic main-clause word order:

• svo ég tek mynd af síðunni í staðinn

This is basically:

• conjunction: svo
• subject: ég
• finite verb: tek
• object: mynd
• prepositional phrase: af síðunni
• adverbial expression: í staðinn

A learner should especially notice that Icelandic keeps a fairly strict position for the finite verb in main clauses. Once you get used to that, sentences like this become much easier to read.

Skanni is a loanword, ultimately related to English scanner. That is very common in modern Icelandic, especially for technology.

Even though it is borrowed, it behaves like a normal Icelandic noun and takes Icelandic endings:

• skanni = a scanner
• skanninn = the scanner

So learners should not be surprised when borrowed words still decline and take the suffixed article like native Icelandic nouns.

Yes. There are several natural alternatives, depending on tone and style. For example:

• Skanninn virkar ekki núna, svo ég tek bara mynd af síðunni.
  • bara adds the sense of just
• Skanninn er ekki að virka núna, svo ég tek mynd af síðunni í staðinn.
  • This version emphasizes isn’t working right now

But the original sentence is completely natural and clear. It is a good example of everyday Icelandic.