en
But (En)
en means but: Íslenska er erfið en skemmtileg (Icelandic is hard but fun).
How It Works
Contrast. en joins words or sentences that contrast:
- Ég er þreyttur en ánægður. (I'm tired but happy.)
- Hún vill koma en hún getur það ekki. (She wants to come, but she can't.)
Word order. en does not take the first position in the sentence after it, so that sentence keeps its normal order (verb-second word order): Það er kalt úti en sólin skín.
en or heldur? When the first part says what something is not and the second part corrects it, use heldur (ekki ... heldur): Ég fór ekki í bíó heldur heim (I didn't go to the cinema; I went home). When the true part comes first and the denied part follows, use en: Ég fór í bíó en ekki heim (I went to the cinema, not home).
en meaning "than". After a comparative, en means than: Hann er eldri en ég (He is older than me). See comparative + en.
en or enn? Do not mix up en (but, than) with enn (still, yet), which has a double n: Ég er enn þreyttur (I'm still tired).
For "still" or "anyway" after a contrast, see engu að síður/samt.
Examples (6)
- Ég er þreyttur en ánægður.
I'm tired but happy.
Word by Word: I am tired but happy.
Said by a man. A woman says þreytt en ánægð.
- Hún vill koma en hún getur það ekki.
She wants to come, but she can't.
Word by Word: She wants come but she can it not.
- Íslenska er erfið en skemmtileg.
Icelandic is hard but fun.
Word by Word: Icelandic is hard but fun.
- Það er kalt úti en sólin skín.
It's cold outside, but the sun is shining.
Word by Word: It is cold outside but the-sun shines.
- Ég skil íslensku en ég tala hana ekki vel.
I understand Icelandic, but I don't speak it well.
Word by Word: I understand Icelandic but I speak it not well.
- Hann er eldri en ég.
He is older than me.
Word by Word: He is older than I.
After a comparative, en means than.
Common Mistakes
Using en to correct a negative.
Hún er ekki kennari en læknir.Hún er ekki kennari heldur læknir.When the second part replaces what was denied ("not X but Y"), Icelandic uses heldur.
Writing en when you mean enn (still).
Ég er en þreyttur.Ég er enn þreyttur.en means but or than. The word for still is spelled enn, with two n.
How It Connects
Learn This First
en comes after og.
Related Patterns
- eðaOr (Eða)
The joining word for a choice: or.
Level 1 - ekki ... heldurNot This but That (Ekki ... Heldur)
The pattern for "not this but that".
Level 3 - Comparative + enThan (Comparative + En)
The other meaning of en: than.
Level 2 - samt / engu að síðurNevertheless (Samt, Engu Að Síður)
Words for "still" and "anyway" after a contrast.
Level 4 - The Verb Comes Second
The sentence after en keeps its normal word order.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice en in Bubblegum
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