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Questions & Answers about Hún elskar sjálfa sig.
What do the two words sjálfa sig each mean?
- sig is the third-person reflexive object pronoun, used when the object refers back to the subject (herself/himself/itself/themselves).
- sjálfa is an emphatic adjective meaning self that agrees with the subject in gender/number and with the object in case. Together sjálfa sig means herself with emphasis (literally self herself).
Why is it sjálfa here and not sjálfan or sjálft?
Because the subject is feminine singular (hún) and the phrase is in the accusative case (as the direct object of elskar). The forms are:
- Masculine singular accusative: sjálfan (e.g., Hann elskar sjálfan sig.)
- Feminine singular accusative: sjálfa (our sentence)
- Neuter singular accusative: sjálft (e.g., Barnið elskar sjálft sig.)
Why is it sig and not hana for her?
sig is reflexive: it must be used when the object refers back to the subject of the clause. hana means her (some other female), not herself.
- Hún elskar sjálfa sig. = She loves herself.
- Hún elskar hana. = She loves her (another woman).
Can I drop sjálfa and just say Hún elskar sig?
Yes. Hún elskar sig is grammatical and means the same in most contexts. sjálfa adds emphatic focus (she loves herself specifically, herself as such). In careful style, the collocation sjálfa/sjálfan/sjálft sig is very common.
What case are sjálfa and sig, and why?
Both are accusative, because elska governs the accusative for its direct object.
- Nominative subject: Hún
- Accusative object: sjálfa sig
How would this sentence look with other subjects (he/they)?
- He: Hann elskar sjálfan sig.
- They (all male or mixed): Þeir elska sjálfa sig.
- They (all female): Þær elska sjálfar sig.
- They (neuter/mixed, often children/things): Þau elska sjálf sig.
What are the reflexive forms beyond accusative? When do I use them?
Third-person reflexive forms:
- Accusative: sig (after verbs/prepositions that take accusative), e.g., Hún elskar sjálfa sig.
- Dative: sér (with dative-governing verbs/preps), e.g., Hún hjálpaði sér. (She helped herself.)
- Genitive: sín (genitive contexts), e.g., Hún gætti sín. (She looked after herself.) The emphatic sjálfur-word agrees accordingly: dative fem sg is sjálfri, gen fem sg is sjálfrar, etc.
What is the full present-tense conjugation of elska?
- ég elska
- þú elskar
- hann/hún/það elskar
- við elskum
- þið elskið
- þeir/þær/þau elska
How do I negate it or turn it into a question?
- Negation (ekki follows the finite verb): Hún elskar ekki sjálfa sig.
- Yes–no question (verb-second): Elskar hún sjálfa sig?
- Negative question: Elskar hún ekki sjálfa sig?
Is the word order sjálfa sig fixed? Can I say sig sjálfa?
The most common, neutral order is sjálfa/sjálfan/sjálft sig. You will also encounter sig sjálfa/sjálfan/sjálft, especially for extra emphasis or rhythm, but learners are safest sticking with sjálf- sig as their default.
What’s the difference between sjálf and sjálfa with feminine subjects?
- sjálf is nominative feminine singular (used with subjects): Hún sjálf kom. (She herself came.)
- sjálfa is accusative feminine singular (used for direct objects with verbs like elska): Hún elskar sjálfa sig.
How is the sentence pronounced?
Approximation:
- Hún ≈ [huːn] (like hoon, with a long oo)
- elskar ≈ [ɛl-skar] (clear l; rolled or tapped r)
- sjálfa ≈ [sjau(l)va] (s + y-glide, not English sh; á like ow in cow; lf sounds like lv)
- sig ≈ [sɪː] (the g is not fully pronounced here; vowel is lengthened) Put together: roughly “Hoon el-skar syowl-va see.”
Is sig only for third person? How do I say I/you love myself/yourself?
sig is only third person (singular and plural). For 1st/2nd person you use the regular object forms:
- Ég elska mig. (I love myself.)
- Þú elskar þig. (You love yourself.)
What are the main case forms of hún versus the reflexive?
- hún (nom), hana (acc), henni (dat), hennar (gen)
- Reflexive third person: sig (acc), sér (dat), sín (gen) Remember: use sig/sér/sín only when the object refers back to the clause’s subject.
How would I say She loves her own life?
Use the reflexive possessive sinn/sín/sitt (agreeing with the possessed noun) and you can add eigið for emphasis:
- Hún elskar sitt eigið líf. (her own life; líf is neuter, so sitt) If you said Hún elskar hennar líf, it would mean she loves her life referring to another woman.