Ef moldin er of þurr, vökvum við beðið með garðslöngunni.

Here of means too or overly, not English of.

So of þurr = too dry.

A very common Icelandic pattern is:

• of + adjective

For example:

• of kalt = too cold
• of heitt = too hot

No. Icelandic mold usually means soil, earth, or dirt.

So moldin here is the soil.

That can confuse English speakers, because English mold/mould usually means the fungus. Icelandic mold is not that in this sentence.

Because þurr is agreeing with moldin, which is feminine singular.

In Icelandic, predicate adjectives usually agree with the noun they describe in gender and number:

• masculine: þurr
• feminine: þurr
• neuter: þurrt

Since moldin is feminine, þurr is the right form.

Because Icelandic main clauses normally follow the verb-second rule.

The opening part Ef moldin er of þurr takes the first position in the sentence. After that, the finite verb of the main clause comes next, so you get:

• vökvum við

not

• við vökvum

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

• Við vökvum beðið með garðslöngunni.

Vökvum is the 1st person plural present tense of vökva.

So:

• ég vökva = I water
• við vökvum = we water

In this sentence, vökvum við literally means water we, but because of Icelandic word order, it simply means we water.

That -in is the definite article attached to the noun.

So:

• mold = soil
• moldin = the soil

Icelandic usually puts the at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English does.

Here beðið means the bed, specifically a garden bed or flowerbed, not a bed for sleeping.

It comes from:

• beð = bed / flowerbed
• beðið = the bed

It is also the direct object of vökva, since it is the thing being watered.

Because Icelandic often uses the present tense for general truths, routines, and real conditions.

So Ef moldin er of þurr, vökvum við beðið... means something like:

• If the soil is too dry, we water the bed...

This can describe a normal procedure or rule. English sometimes uses the present in the same way, and sometimes uses will depending on context.

Because með here means with / using, and in this use it takes the dative.

The base noun is:

• garðslanga = garden hose

Here it appears as:

• garðslöngunni = with the garden hose

So the ending shows both:

• dative singular
• definite article = the

This whole phrase means with the garden hose or using the garden hose.