Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Passinn er hér.

In Icelandic the definite article (the) attaches as a suffix to the noun rather than standing alone. The base word is passi (passport). To make it definite you add –inn (masculine nominative singular), giving passinn (the passport).

What case and gender is passinn in?

Passinn is masculine and in the nominative case because it functions as the subject of the sentence.

Why is er used here, and what form is it?

Er is the present tense, 3rd person singular form of the verb vera (to be). It corresponds to English is in The passport is here.

Why is hér placed after the verb?

Icelandic generally follows a V2 (verb-second) word order. With passinn as the first element, the verb er comes second, and then the adverb hér (‘here’) follows.

Could I instead say Hér er passinn?

Yes. That’s a locative inversion common in Icelandic. By fronting hér, you put more emphasis on the location. Both Passinn er hér and Hér er passinn mean The passport is here, but the second highlights here.

What exactly does hér mean, and how does it differ from þar or þarna?

Hér = here (at or very near the speaker).
Þar = there (at a location away from both speaker and listener).
Þarna = over there (a bit closer or more specific than þar, but not at the speaker’s spot).

How do I ask “Where is the passport?” in Icelandic?

Use Hvar (where) + verb + subject:
Hvar er passinn?

How would I say “My passport is here”?

Put your possessive before or after the noun, adjusting for definiteness:
• Passinn minn er hér (my passport is here)
• Or with the more formal word vegabréf: Vegabréfið mitt er hér