Breakdown of Þau æfa núvitundina og njóta sín betur.
og
and
þau
they (n)
æfa
to practice
betur
better (adverb)
njóta
to enjoy
sín
of oneself
núvitundin
the mindfulness
Questions & Answers about Þau æfa núvitundina og njóta sín betur.
Why do we use the genitive reflexive pronoun sín here instead of the accusative sig?
The verb njóta strongly governs the genitive case. When it is used reflexively to mean 'enjoy oneself' or 'thrive', it keeps this case requirement. Therefore, the standard reflexive pronoun must take its genitive form, which is sín.
Does njóta sín mean exactly the same thing as 'to have fun'?
Not quite. While it is translated as 'enjoy themselves' here, njóta sín carries a deeper meaning of thriving, blossoming, or being in one's element. It implies they are truly benefiting and coming into their own, rather than just being entertained, which would be expressed with skemmta sér.
Why is there a definite article on núvitundina when we just say 'mindfulness' in English?
In Icelandic, abstract nouns like núvitund (mindfulness) or ást (love) usually take the definite article when referring to the general concept. You are essentially practicing 'the mindfulness'. Additionally, the verb æfa takes the accusative case, giving us the ending in núvitundina rather than the nominative núvitundin.
Both verbs follow the pronoun þau. Why do they look exactly like their infinitive dictionary forms?
This is a very consistent rule in Icelandic grammar: for all verbs, the third-person plural in the present tense is identical to the infinitive form. So að æfa automatically becomes þau æfa, and að njóta becomes þau njóta.
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