Breakdown of Höfundurinn skrifar um tregann er lesandinn þekkir vel.
vel
well
skrifa
to write
þekkja
to know
um
about
höfundurinn
the author (general, creator)
lesandinn
the reader
er
which / who (formal)
treginn
the melancholy
Questions & Answers about Höfundurinn skrifar um tregann er lesandinn þekkir vel.
Why is er used here instead of sem, and does it change the meaning?
Er is a formal, written equivalent of the relative pronoun sem (meaning which, who, or that). It does not change the meaning at all, but it elevates the tone of the text. You will mostly encounter er in literature, official documents, or formal journalism, whereas sem is used in everyday speech and casual writing.
Does the relative particle er change depending on the case of the noun it refers to?
No, just like sem, the particle er is completely indeclinable. It stays exactly the same regardless of the gender, number, or case of the noun it points back to (which in this sentence is the accusative masculine noun tregann).
Why is tregann in the accusative case here?
The preposition um (about) always requires the accusative case. The base word is the weak masculine noun tregi (melancholy or sorrow). In the accusative with the definite article attached, it becomes tregann. It also happens to be the logical object of the verb þekkja (to know) in the relative clause, which conveniently also takes the accusative.
Are the nouns höfundurinn and lesandinn declined the same way?
No, they belong to different noun groups even though they are both masculine subjects in their respective clauses here. Höfundur is a strong masculine noun, while lesandi (reader) is a weak masculine noun formed from a present participle (an agent noun ending in -andi). They take different endings when they decline into other cases.
Learn Höfundurinn skrifar um tregann er lesandinn þekkir vel and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free