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Nemandinn hlustar oft.

Nemandinn hlustar oft.
The student listens often.
From Lesson 7:Group 1 weak verbs (-ar)·Icelandic

Breakdown of Nemandinn hlustar oft.

nemandinn
the student
hlusta
to listen
oft
often

Questions & Answers about Nemandinn hlustar oft.

Why does the verb hlusta become hlustar here?
Hlusta (to listen) is a Group 1 weak verb. In the present tense, for all singular subjects (I, you, he, she, it), these verbs end in -ar. Because the subject here is nemandinn (a single student), we use hlustar.
How does the word nemandinn translate to "the student"?
Icelandic usually attaches the word for "the" to the end of nouns instead of using a separate word. The base dictionary word for "student" is nemandi. By adding the definite suffix -nn, it becomes nemandinn (the student).
How would the verb hlustar change if the sentence was about multiple students?
For Group 1 verbs, plural subjects (we, you all, they) simply use the base dictionary form of the verb. So, if we were talking about multiple students, the verb drops the -r and goes back to being hlusta.
In English we say "often listens." Can we put oft before the verb in Icelandic?
Generally, no. Icelandic has a strict rule where the conjugated verb must be the second piece of information in a standard sentence. Because the subject nemandinn takes the first spot, the verb hlustar must come second, pushing the adverb oft (often) after it.

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