Breakdown of Hann útskýrir stefið er höfundurinn notar oft.
hann
he
oft
often
nota
to use
útskýra
to explain
höfundurinn
the author (general, creator)
er
which / who (formal)
stefið
the theme
Questions & Answers about Hann útskýrir stefið er höfundurinn notar oft.
Why is er used here instead of sem?
In written and formal Icelandic, er is frequently used as a relative particle meaning 'which', 'who', or 'that'. It functions exactly the same way as sem. You will rarely hear it in casual spoken Icelandic, but it is important to recognize it in literature, news, and formal writing.
Wait, isn't er also the verb 'is' (from vera)? How do I tell them apart?
Yes, er is also the present tense 'is' (as in hann er). You can tell them apart by looking at the sentence structure. Here, if er meant 'is', the translation 'He explains the theme is the author uses often' would not make sense. As a rule of thumb, whenever you can swap er for sem and the sentence remains grammatical, it is the relative particle.
What case is stefið in, and why?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb útskýra (to explain). Because stef (theme or motif) is a neuter noun, its nominative and accusative forms look identical. Notice that it also acts as the implied object for the verb nota (to use) in the relative clause, which conveniently also requires the accusative!
Why does the adverb oft come after the verb notar?
In Icelandic, simple adverbs of time or frequency like oft (often) typically come directly after the conjugated verb. This standard word order rule applies here inside the relative clause, making er ... notar oft the natural phrasing.
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