Atvinnurekandinn ræður starfsmanninn.

the employee

Breakdown of Atvinnurekandinn ræður starfsmanninn.

• atvinnurekandinn: the employer
• ráða: to hire

Questions & Answers about Atvinnurekandinn ræður starfsmanninn.

What does atvinnurekandinn mean, and why is it so long?

Atvinnurekandinn means the employer.

The basic noun is atvinnurekandi = employer. Icelandic often makes compound nouns, so long words are very common. This one is built from parts related to work/employment and someone who runs or operates.

Then Icelandic adds the definite article to the end of the noun:

• atvinnurekandi = employer
• atvinnurekandinn = the employer

So the word is long, but its structure is very normal for Icelandic.

What is the dictionary form of starfsmanninn?

The dictionary form is starfsmaður, meaning employee or staff member.

In the sentence, it appears as starfsmanninn because:

• the noun is in the accusative singular
• it has the definite article attached

So:

• starfsmaður = employee
• starfsmann = employee in the accusative singular
• starfsmanninn = the employee in the accusative singular

The change from maður to mann is part of the noun’s inflection and is something learners usually just have to get used to.