Getting past the bouncer at an exclusive nightclub comes with strict rules. To express an exception to a rule or state that an action occurs unless a condition is met, use the subordinating conjunction nema (unless).
Whenever you use nema, the verb in that clause must be in the subjunctive mood (viðtengingarháttur).
You will frequently hear nema followed by the verb vera (to be). Notice how vera takes its present subjunctive forms in these clauses, such as sé (it is), sért (you are), and séu (they are).
| The nightclub is closed tonight unless it is a private party. | Skemmtistaðurinn er lokaður í kvöld nema það sé einkasamkvæmi. |
| The bouncer does not let you in unless you are on the guest list. | Dyravörðurinn hleypir þér ekki inn nema þú sért á gestalistanum. |
| We do not go to the private party unless the clothes are formal. | Við förum ekki í einkasamkvæmið nema fötin séu formleg. |
Regular and irregular verbs alike shift into the subjunctive after nema. For example, eiga (to own) becomes eigir for "you own", and finna (to find) becomes finni for "he/she/it finds".
| The age limit is twenty years unless you own the club. | Aldurstakmarkið er tuttugu ára nema þú eigir klúbbinn. |
| We wait in the queue unless the bouncer finds the guest list. | Við bíðum í röðinni nema dyravörðurinn finni gestalistann. |
Here are a couple more examples of conditions and exceptions you might encounter while deciding whether to brave the queue.
| I do not want to go to the club unless the queue is short. | Mig langar ekki að fara á klúbbinn nema röðin sé stutt. |
| You must show the ID unless you are thirty years old. | Þú verður að sýna skilríkið nema þú sért þrjátíu ára. |