Hún lagar bilaðan bíl heima.

the car

Breakdown of Hún lagar bilaðan bíl heima.

• hún: she
• heima: at home
• bilaður: broken

Questions & Answers about Hún lagar bilaðan bíl heima.

Why is it Hún lagar and not Hún laga?

Because the verb laga (to fix) is conjugated. In the present tense:

• ég laga
• þú lagar
• hún/hann/það lagar
• við löguM (lögum)
• þið lagið
• þeir/þær/þau laga

So with hún (she), you use lagar.

Does Hún lagar mean “she fixes” or “she is fixing”?

Both are possible in Icelandic present tense. Context decides. If you want to make the ongoing action explicit, you can say: Hún er að laga bilaðan bíl heima (She is fixing a broken car at home).

Why is it bíl and not bíll?

Bíl is the accusative singular of the masculine noun bíll (car). The direct object of a verb like laga is in the accusative:

• nominative: bíll
• accusative: bíl
• dative: bíl
• genitive: bíls

Why does the adjective say bilaðan with -an?

Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. Here the noun bíl is masculine, singular, accusative, and indefinite. With an indefinite noun, you use the strong adjective endings. Masculine accusative singular strong ending is typically -an, hence bilaðan bíl.

How would I say “the broken car”?