Ljósið er fyrir ofan gluggann.

to be

Breakdown of Ljósið er fyrir ofan gluggann.

• glugginn: the window
• ljósið: the light
• fyrir ofan: above

Questions & Answers about Ljósið er fyrir ofan gluggann.

Why does ljósið end in -ið?

ljós is a neuter noun. In Icelandic the definite article is attached as a suffix. For neuter nouns in the nominative (and accusative) singular the suffix is -ið, so “ljós” → “ljósið” = the light.

What gender is ljós and how does it affect its form?

ljós is neuter. Neuter nouns
• have identical nominative and accusative forms in the indefinite singular (both “ljós”)
• take the suffix -ið to mark the definite singular.

Why is gluggann spelled with -ann instead of -inn?

The noun gluggi (window) is a masculine “-i-stem.”
• Its indefinite accusative singular is glugga.
• When you add the definite article -inn to that accusative base, the final a merges and you get gluggann.

What case is gluggann and why?

gluggann is accusative singular definite. The compound preposition fyrir ofan (“above”) takes the accusative when indicating a fixed location.

What does er represent in this sentence?