Questions & Answers about Við heimsækjum nágranna okkar á sunnudag.
What case is nágranna in, and why does it end with “-a”?
nágranna is the accusative form of the weak masculine noun nágranni (neighbor). In Icelandic, weak masculine nouns add “-a” in both the singular and plural accusative (and dative). Here, it is accusative because it is the direct object of the verb heimsækjum (we visit).
Why is there no definite article before nágranna okkar even though we mean “our neighbors”?
In Icelandic, a possessive pronoun (like okkar) makes the noun definite, so you do not add the word “the” beforehand. nágranna okkar literally means “the neighbors of us,” so adding an extra definite article would be redundant.
Why does the possessive pronoun okkar come after the noun instead of before it?
Unlike English, Icelandic places possessive pronouns after the noun they modify. So you say hesturinn minn (the horse of me) rather than minn hestur. The noun comes first, then the genitive pronoun that marks ownership.
What case is okkar in, and why?
okkar is the genitive form of the first‐person plural pronoun. Possessive pronouns in Icelandic always take the genitive case to show ownership (our), so it follows the noun it modifies in that case.
Why is the verb heimsækjum in the present tense if the visit is happening in the future?