Læknirinn vinnur á sjúkrahúsi.

to work

Breakdown of Læknirinn vinnur á sjúkrahúsi.

• læknirinn: the doctor
• á: at
• sjúkrahúsið: the hospital

Questions & Answers about Læknirinn vinnur á sjúkrahúsi.

What does the suffix -inn do in læknirinn?

It’s the definite article “the” attached to the noun. In Icelandic you don’t put a separate word for “the” – instead you add a suffix.

• læknir = “doctor” (indefinite)
• læknirinn = “the doctor” (definite)

How can I say “a doctor works at a hospital” (indefinite) in Icelandic?

Icelandic has no separate indefinite article. You simply leave the noun bare:
Læknir vinnur á sjúkrahúsi.

Why is sjúkrahúsi in the dative case?

The preposition á when used to indicate a static location (“at/on”) governs the dative. The base noun sjúkrahús (neuter) takes an -i ending in the singular dative, giving sjúkrahúsi.

When do I use á + dative versus á + accusative with á?

• á + dative = location (where something is stationary):
  “Hann vinnur á sjúkrahúsi.” (“He works at the hospital.”)
• á + accusative = motion toward (where something is going):
  “Hann fer á sjúkrahús.” (“He goes to the hospital.”)

What does mean and how is it formed?