Andstæðingurinn svindlar ekki.

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

• andstæðingur = opponent
• andstæðingurinn = the opponent

In this sentence, -inn is the definite article, but because of the noun’s form, it appears as -urinn in the final word.

The dictionary form is andstæðingur.

That is the indefinite singular form, the one you would normally look up in a dictionary.
So:

• andstæðingur = opponent
• andstæðingurinn = the opponent

It is in the nominative singular, because it is the subject of the sentence — the one doing the action.

In Andstæðingurinn svindlar ekki, the opponent is the one who does not cheat, so Icelandic uses the nominative form for that noun.

Svindlar is the present tense, 3rd person singular form of the verb svindla.

So the pattern is:

• að svindla = to cheat
• ég svindla = I cheat / am cheating
• þú svindlar = you cheat
• hann/hún svindlar = he/she cheats

Since andstæðingurinn is a singular subject, svindlar is the correct form.

Because in a normal Icelandic main clause, ekki usually comes after the finite verb.

So the basic order here is:

• Andstæðingurinn = subject
• svindlar = finite verb
• ekki = not

That makes Andstæðingurinn svindlar ekki the natural way to say The opponent does not cheat.

Not in normal modern Icelandic. That sounds wrong or very unnatural.

The usual order is:

• Andstæðingurinn svindlar ekki.

Icelandic word order is not identical to English, but in simple statements like this, the negative ekki normally follows the finite verb.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Icelandic present tense often covers both:

• a general statement: does not cheat
• a current situation: is not cheating

So without extra context, the sentence could be understood in either way.

No. Andstæðingur usually means opponent, adversary, or rival, depending on context.

It can be used for:

• a sports opponent
• a debate opponent
• a political opponent
• sometimes an enemy-like adversary

So it is broader than just enemy.

A rough English-friendly guide would be something like:

AHNT-stai-thing-ur-rin

A few helpful points:

• ð in Icelandic is like the th in this
• æ sounds roughly like eye
• the r is rolled or tapped
• the definite ending is attached smoothly: andstæðingur + inn

This is only an approximation, but it can help you get started.

You can, but it changes the meaning.

• Andstæðingurinn svindlar ekki = The opponent does not cheat
• Andstæðingur svindlar ekki = An opponent does not cheat or opponent does not cheat, which sounds more general or less natural without context

So if you mean a specific opponent, you want andstæðingurinn.

Yes. In a yes/no question, Icelandic usually puts the finite verb first:

• Svindlar andstæðingurinn ekki? = Isn’t the opponent cheating? / Doesn’t the opponent cheat?

That is different from the statement:

• Andstæðingurinn svindlar ekki.

So word order helps show whether something is a statement or a question.

Yes — it shows three very common Icelandic features at once:

1. Definite article attached to the noun

   • andstæðingurinn = the opponent

2. Verb conjugation for person/number

   • svindlar matches a singular third-person subject

3. Negation with ekki

   • the negative usually comes after the finite verb in simple statements

So this is a short sentence, but it is a very useful pattern to learn.