Breakdown of Ég er nýbúinn að misstíga mig illa í garðinum.
vera
to be
ég
I
að
to (infinitive marker)
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
garðurinn
the park / the garden
illa
badly
nýbúinn
just finished
misstíga sig
to misstep
Questions & Answers about Ég er nýbúinn að misstíga mig illa í garðinum.
How does the prefix mis- change the meaning of the verb stíga in this sentence?
The base verb stíga means to step. The prefix mis- adds the meaning of doing something wrongly, mistakenly, or badly. Together, misstíga literally means to misstep, but it is the standard way to say you twisted or sprained your ankle in Icelandic.
Why do we need the word mig here when the English translation mentions an ankle?
The verb misstíga sig is a reflexive verb, meaning the action reflects back on the subject. Icelandic doesn't actually mention the ankle at all! You literally say you misstepped yourself, which is why mig (the accusative form of ég) is used instead of naming a body part.
What does the ný- part of nýbúinn do, and does this word change based on who is speaking?
Isn't it redundant to use illa when the prefix mis- already means something went wrong?
Not at all! While mis- tells us that the step itself was wrong, the adverb illa (badly) describes the severity of the resulting injury. Að misstíga sig just means you twisted your ankle, but adding illa clarifies that it was a severe twist.
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