Breakdown of Ef þú brytir tímavélina, myndum við hverfa.
þú
you
við
we
brjóta
to break
ef
if
myndi
would (singular)
tímavélin
the time machine
hverfa
to disappear
Questions & Answers about Ef þú brytir tímavélina, myndum við hverfa.
How do we get the form brytir from the verb brjóta?
In hypothetical situations, the ef (if) clause uses the past subjunctive. For strong verbs like brjóta (to break), you take the past plural stem (brut-), apply an i-umlaut where u changes to y, and add the ending for þú (-ir). This gives you brytir.
Why is the word order myndum við instead of við myndum in the second half of the sentence?
This happens because of the V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire ef clause counts as the first piece of information in the sentence. The main clause must have its verb (myndum) in the second position, which pushes the subject (við) right after it.
Why does tímavélina end in -ina?
The verb brjóta requires its object to be in the accusative case. The word for time machine is tímavél, a feminine noun. To say 'the time machine' in the accusative case, you attach the feminine accusative definite article -ina, resulting in tímavélina.
What role does myndum play in this sentence?
Myndum is the first-person plural past subjunctive form of munu. We use it in the main clause of a hypothetical conditional to mean 'would'. It acts as an auxiliary (helping) verb, so the main action verb that follows it (hverfa) stays in its basic infinitive form.
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