Breakdown of Í öðru lagi flokkum við hlutina áður en samsetningin byrjar.
við
we
byrja
to start
hluturinn
the thing (m)
flokka
to sort
áður en
before
í öðru lagi
secondly
samsetningin
the assembly
Questions & Answers about Í öðru lagi flokkum við hlutina áður en samsetningin byrjar.
How exactly does í öðru lagi translate to 'secondly', and what case is it using?
It literally translates to 'in the second layer' or 'in the second place'. The preposition í governs the dative case here. Therefore, öðru is the dative neuter form of the word annar (second/other), and lagi is the dative singular of the neuter noun lag (layer, state, or situation).
Why does the verb flokkum come before the subject við?
This is the classic V2 (verb-second) rule in action. Because the adverbial phrase Í öðru lagi occupies the first grammatical position in the sentence, the main verb flokkum must take the second slot. This pushes the subject við to the third position right after the verb.
The word hlutina usually means 'the things'. Why is it translated as 'the pieces' here?
While the masculine noun hlutur broadly means 'thing' or 'object', its translation is highly context-dependent. When talking about manufacturing, building, or putting things together as indicated by the word samsetningin (the assembly), hlutir naturally translates to the 'parts', 'components', or 'pieces' being assembled.
Could I just say áður samsetningin byrjar without the word en?
No, you must include en. The word áður on its own is an adverb meaning 'previously' or 'beforehand'. To use it as a conjunction that introduces a whole new clause with its own subject and verb (like 'the assembly starts'), it must be paired with en to form the phrase áður en.
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