Breakdown of Helvítið! Tölvan virkar ekki.
ekki
not
tölvan
the computer
virka
to work (to function)
helvítið
hell; damn it (mild oath)
Questions & Answers about Helvítið! Tölvan virkar ekki.
Why is it virkar and not vinnur for "works"?
In Icelandic, vinna means to work at a job or do labor. When you want to say that a machine or system is functioning, you use the verb virka instead. Since a computer is a machine, virkar is the right choice here.
Why does helvítið have -ið at the end?
The base word helvíti means "hell", and -ið is the neuter "the" attached to the end. While in English we just say "Hell!" or "Damn it!", Icelanders literally say "The hell!" (Helvítið!) when swearing.
How is "the" added to tölva to make it tölvan?
Why does ekki come after virkar?
In standard Icelandic sentences, the verb comes first or second, and the word ekki (not) follows it. There is no helper verb like "does" in Icelandic, so "does not work" is literally said as "works not" (virkar ekki).