Við lesum leikreglurnar aftur til þess að skilja þær betur.

Lesum is the present-tense form used with við (we).

• infinitive: að lesa = to read
• við lesum = we read / we are reading

So the verb changes form to match the subject. A very common pattern is that the við form ends in -um.

Because Icelandic very often makes compound nouns where English would use several words.

Here:

• leik- = game
• reglur = rules

So leikreglur literally means game-rules, which English would usually express as the rules of the game or game rules.

Then Icelandic adds the definite article onto the end, giving leikreglurnar = the game rules / the rules of the game.

In Icelandic, the definite article is usually attached to the noun as an ending instead of standing as a separate word.

So:

• leikreglur = game rules
• leikreglurnar = the game rules

The ending -nar here is the definite article for this plural feminine noun form.

It is in the accusative plural, because it is the direct object of lesum.

We are reading what?
→ leikreglurnar

The verb lesa normally takes a direct object in the accusative.

A useful detail: with this noun, the definite plural form leikreglurnar looks the same in nominative and accusative, so you identify the case mainly from the sentence role.

Here aftur means again.

So the idea is we read the rules again.

The word aftur can sometimes correspond to English back, but in this sentence the natural meaning is repetition, not movement back.

That is a normal Icelandic word order.

In this sentence, the structure is roughly:

• Við lesum = we read
• leikreglurnar = object
• aftur = adverb
• til þess að... = purpose phrase

Adverbs like aftur can move around somewhat depending on style and emphasis, but this placement is perfectly natural. Icelandic word order is more flexible than English, though the finite verb still has important position rules.

It means in order to, so as to, or simply to when expressing purpose.

So:

• til þess að skilja þær betur = in order to understand them better

This is a very common Icelandic way to introduce a purpose clause.

You will also often see the shorter form til að, especially in less formal language.
So til þess að and til að are often very close in meaning.

Because til normally takes the genitive case, and þess is the genitive form of það.

Historically and grammatically, til þess að is a set phrase built with that genitive form. You do not need to translate it word by word every time; it is best learned as a unit meaning in order to.

So although the phrase literally contains þess, learners usually just understand the whole chunk:

• til þess að = in order to

Because skilja is in the infinitive, and Icelandic usually marks the infinitive with að.

• að skilja = to understand

After til þess að, the infinitive follows:

• til þess að skilja = in order to understand

So this að is not a separate word you translate on its own here; it is part of the normal infinitive construction.

Because þær refers back to leikreglurnar, and Icelandic pronouns must match the noun’s gender and number.

leikregla is a feminine noun.
leikreglurnar is plural.

So the pronoun must be feminine plural:

• þær = them / they for feminine plural nouns

This is one thing that feels unusual to English speakers: Icelandic uses grammatical gender even for inanimate things, so rules can be referred to as þær.

It is the direct object of skilja, so it is accusative plural.

We understand what?
→ þær (them)

With this pronoun, the feminine plural nominative and accusative happen to have the same form: þær.

So in this sentence it is accusative because of its function, even though the form looks the same as nominative.

Using the pronoun avoids unnecessary repetition, just like in English.

Compare:

• ...að skilja þær betur = ...to understand them better
• ...að skilja leikreglurnar betur = ...to understand the rules better

Both are possible, but the version with þær sounds more natural and less repetitive.

Because betur is an adverb, and here it modifies the verb skilja.

• betur = better as an adverb
• betra = better as an adjective form

In this sentence, the meaning is understand them better, not understand the better rules. So Icelandic uses the adverb betur.

A useful comparison:

• þær eru betri = they are better → adjective
• við skiljum þær betur = we understand them better → adverb

Yes, to some extent.

For example, you could also say:

• Til þess að skilja þær betur lesum við leikreglurnar aftur.

That puts the purpose phrase first: In order to understand them better, we read the rules again.

But in a main clause, Icelandic normally follows the verb-second rule, so the finite verb still needs to come early:

• Til þess að skilja þær betur
  • lesum
    • við ...

So word order is flexible, but not random.

Yes, very close.

Icelandic often uses aftur (again) where English might use either:

• read again
• reread

So Við lesum leikreglurnar aftur can naturally be understood as We read the rules again or We reread the rules, depending on context.