Breakdown of Hún klæðir sig alltaf mjög vel.
hún
she
mjög
very
alltaf
always
vel
well
klæða
to dress
sig
himself/herself/themselves (acc)
Questions & Answers about Hún klæðir sig alltaf mjög vel.
Why is sig used in this sentence?
In English, we just say "she dresses," but in Icelandic, the verb klæða means "to dress someone." If you are dressing yourself, you have to use a reflexive pronoun. So, hún klæðir sig literally means "she dresses herself."
Why do we use sig instead of sér here?
The verb klæða requires the accusative case for the person being dressed. Sig is the accusative form of the third-person reflexive pronoun, while sér is the dative form.
Why does alltaf come right after sig?
Could I use the word for "good" instead of vel here?
No, just like in English, you must use the adverb vel (well) to describe how an action is done. You would only use the adjective for "good" to describe a noun, like saying a person or a piece of clothing is good.
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