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Questions & Answers about Sólin skín í dag.
Why is Sólin not just sól?
Sólin is the definite form, meaning “the sun.” In Icelandic, the definite article is a suffix rather than a separate word. The base noun sól means “sun,” and adding -in (the feminine singular article) gives sólin = “the sun.”
What is the infinitive of skín, and what tense/person is this form?
The infinitive is skína (to shine). The form skín is present indicative, 3rd person singular — he/she/it shines.
Why is í dag used for “today” instead of dagur or dagurinn?
í dag is a fixed time‐expression meaning “today.”
- dagur is the bare noun “day” (nominative singular).
- dagurinn is “the day” (definite nominative).
When telling time with í, you use the accusative form dag without the article. If you wanted “during the day,” you would say í daginn (accusative definite).
What case is dag in í dag?
It’s the accusative singular of dagur. When í expresses time, it generally takes the accusative case in Icelandic.
Can I say Í dag skín sólin instead? Does the order matter?
Yes. Icelandic main clauses obey the V2 rule: the finite verb must be second. If you front í dag, the verb skín follows, then the subject sólin. Both Sólin skín í dag and Í dag skín sólin are correct; the latter simply puts more emphasis on today.
Why isn’t there a subject pronoun like hún for sólin?
Icelandic often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows person and number. You could say Sólin skín í dag, en hún rigndi í gær (“The sun is shining today, but it rained yesterday”), but in simple statements the pronoun is usually omitted.
How do I pronounce Sólin skín í dag?
Roughly:
- SÓL-in (like “sole-in” but with a long ó)
- SKEEN (long í)
- ee (short í)
- DAHG (the a is like the “a” in “father”)
So altogether: SÓL-in SKEEN ee DAHG.
What gender is sól, and how do I know?
sól is feminine. In Icelandic you usually have to learn the gender of each noun, though many feminine nouns end in -a or -l. The definite suffix -in confirms that sól is feminine singular.
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