Breakdown of Klukkan korter yfir fimm kemur sendingin þaðan.
koma
to come
fimm
five
klukkan
the clock
korterið
the quarter (of an hour)
yfir
past / over, across
sendingin
the shipment
þaðan
from there
Questions & Answers about Klukkan korter yfir fimm kemur sendingin þaðan.
Why does the sentence use þaðan instead of þar for "there"?
In Icelandic, location words change based on motion. Þar means "there" when something is stationary. But because the shipment is moving away from that place, we use the adverb of origin þaðan, which specifically means "from there". The -an suffix usually indicates motion away from a place (like héðan for "from here").
Why is the verb kemur placed before the subject sendingin?
This is the V2 (verb-second) rule in action. The entire time phrase Klukkan korter yfir fimm occupies the first position in the sentence. Therefore, the verb kemur must take the second slot, pushing the subject sendingin right after it.
How does the word korter work when telling time?
The word korter simply means "a quarter". To specify if it is past or to the hour, you pair it with a preposition. Here, yfir (over) creates "quarter past". If you wanted to say "quarter to five", you would use í (in/into) instead: korter í fimm.
How can I tell the gender of the word sendingin?
It is a feminine noun. A great rule of thumb for B1 learners is that Icelandic nouns ending in the suffix -ing (like sending or æfing) are almost always feminine. The -in at the end is the attached feminine definite article, making it "the shipment".
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