Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Ég heyri hljóðið á götunni.
What does Ég mean, and why is it at the start of the sentence?
Ég means I. In Icelandic main clauses the typical word order is Subject–Verb–Object, so the subject Ég (“I”) naturally comes first.
Why is heyri used here instead of heyrir or some other form?
Heyri is the first-person singular present tense of heyra (“to hear”). In Icelandic, verbs in the present tense for ég (I) often end in -i. So “I hear” → ég heyri.
What is hljóðið, and why does it end with -ið?
Hljóð is a neuter noun meaning sound. Instead of using a separate article like English “the,” Icelandic attaches a definite suffix. Neuter nouns in the singular definite take -ið, so hljóð + -ið = hljóðið (“the sound”).
How do we know hljóðið is the object and not the subject?
Neuter nouns in the definite singular have identical forms for nominative (subject) and accusative (object), so you rely on word order. Here Ég is the subject before the verb heyri, and hljóðið follows the verb, making it the object.
Why is the preposition á used in á götunni instead of í, and what does it mean?
Á is used with surfaces and open spaces (like streets) to mean “on.” Í is used for enclosed or bounded locations (like rooms or cities in some contexts). So á götunni = “on the street.”
What case is götunni, and how is it formed?
Because á expresses location here, it takes the dative case. Gata (“street”) is feminine; its dative singular indefinite is götu, and adding the definite suffix -inni gives götunni. Hence á + götu + -inni = á götunni (“on the street”).
How would you express “I hear a sound on a street” (when the street isn’t specific)?
Use the indefinite dative form of gata without the suffix. You’d say: Ég heyri hljóð á götu.