Ég á hund.

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Breakdown of Ég á hund.

• eiga: to have

Questions & Answers about Ég á hund.

Why do we say "Ég á hund" instead of using an article, like "Ég á einhund" or something similar?

Icelandic does not typically use indefinite articles the way English does. In English you'd say "I have a dog", but in Icelandic you simply say "Ég á hund", with no article before hund.

Why is "hund" not spelled "hundur"?

The word hundur is the nominative (dictionary) form of the word for "dog." In this sentence, hund appears in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb á. Icelandic nouns change form depending on their grammatical role in the sentence.

What does "á" mean in this context, and is it related to the English concept of "have"?

Yes, in this context á comes from the verb eiga, which means "to own" or "to possess." It’s similar to the English verb "to have." You’re using á here to express that you have (own) a dog, rather than just temporarily possessing something.

Could I say "Ég hef hund" instead of "Ég á hund"?

Generally, you use eiga (and thus á) for ownership. The verb hafa (and thus hef) can mean "to have" in a broader sense but often implies "to hold" or "to possess" in a non-ownership sense. In most everyday contexts when talking about owning a pet, "Ég á hund" is preferred.

Why does "á" have an accent? Is it just another way to write the letter 'a'?

In Icelandic, á is considered a separate letter from a. It represents a different vowel sound (similar to the 'ow' in "how" in English). This difference is consistent across Icelandic spelling and pronunciation.