Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Hún snertir höndina.

snertir is the present tense 3rd person singular form of the verb snerta (“to touch”). You take the stem snert- and add the ending -ir, which marks the present tense for many Icelandic verbs.

Why does snertir end in -ir instead of -ar or just -r?

Icelandic verbs belong to different conjugation classes. Verbs like snerta (ending in -ta) typically form their present tense 3rd person singular with -ir. Other verbs may use -ar or simply -r, depending on their class.

What is höndina and what grammatical information does it carry?

höndina is the Accusative Definite Singular form of hönd (“hand”). You can break it down as:

hönd = base noun “hand” (feminine)
-in = definite article suffix (“the”)
-a = accusative singular ending
So höndina literally means “the hand” as a direct object.

Why is the definite article attached to the noun instead of placed before it?

In Icelandic, definiteness is shown by a suffix on the noun (e.g. hestur = “a horse”, hesturinn = “the horse”) rather than by a separate word like English the.

Why is the verb snertir in the second position in the sentence?

Icelandic follows a verb-second (V2) word-order rule in main clauses: the finite verb normally comes second, regardless of what’s first. Here Hún (the subject) is first, so snertir appears second.

How would you form a yes/no question from this sentence?

Move the finite verb to the first position and add rising intonation:
Snertir hún höndina?
(“Does she touch the hand?”)

If you wanted to say “She touches her own hand,” how would you express that?

Use the reflexive possessive sinn to refer back to the subject:
Hún snertir sína hönd.