Hún er opin.

to be

Breakdown of Hún er opin.

• hún: she
• opin: open

Questions & Answers about Hún er opin.

What does Hún mean in this sentence?

Hún translates to "she" in English. It is the feminine pronoun used as the subject in this sentence.

How is the adjective opin inflected, and why does it come after the verb er?

The adjective opin is in its nominative singular feminine form, specifically agreeing with the subject hún. In Icelandic, when an adjective is used in a predicative position (after a linking verb like er), it must match the subject's gender, number, and case. This explains both its form and its placement after the verb.

What role does the verb er play in this sentence?

The word er is the present tense of the verb vera (to be) and acts as the copula. It links the subject hún with the adjective opin, creating a statement that describes a quality or state of the subject.

Why is the sentence structured as subject–verb–adjective, and how does this compare with English?

The structure Hún er opin follows a typical subject–verb–complement order, similar to English sentences like "She is open." While the word order is comparable, Icelandic adjectives are inflected to agree with their associated noun or pronoun in gender, number, and case, unlike uninflected adjectives in English.

Could the form of opin change in Icelandic and under what circumstances?

Yes, opin can change its form based on the gender, number, or case of the noun it describes. For example, if the subject were masculine or neuter, or if the adjective modified a noun in a different case (such as accusative or dative), the ending of opin would adjust accordingly. In this sentence, its form fits a feminine singular noun in the nominative case.