Breakdown of Lyfið mun lækna þig, er það ekki?
vera
to be
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
ekki
not
þig
you (acc sg)
lyfið
the medicine
munu
will
lækna
to cure
Questions & Answers about Lyfið mun lækna þig, er það ekki?
The English translation says 'won't it?', but the Icelandic uses er það ekki?. Does Icelandic always use this phrase for tag questions?
Yes! Unlike English, which changes the tag to match the auxiliary verb (won't it, haven't you, didn't they), Icelandic uses er það ekki? as a universal tag question for almost everything. You do not need to match it to the auxiliary verb mun.
The current lesson is about the -dómur suffix. Are there any words related to this sentence's context that use it?
Yes, two very relevant ones! You can take the adjective sjúkur (sick) and add -dómur to form the abstract noun sjúkdómur (disease/illness), which is what the medicine is curing. You can also form læknisdómur (the art of healing/medicine), which shares the same root as the verb lækna (to cure).
Why is mun used here instead of just using the present tense læknar to show the future?
While Icelandic frequently uses the present tense for future actions, using the auxiliary verb munu (here as mun) plus the infinitive lækna expresses a firm prediction, promise, or strong assumption. The speaker is assuring the person that the medicine will definitely work, rather than just stating a scheduled fact.
Why is the pronoun þig in the accusative case here instead of the dative?
The verb lækna (to cure) takes a direct object in the accusative case. Even though many Icelandic verbs relating to helping, changing, or benefiting someone take the dative case, lækna is an exception that takes the accusative, so þú becomes þig.
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