Barnið elskar sig sjálft.

The child loves itself.

Breakdown of Barnið elskar sig sjálft.

• elska: to love
• barnið: the child
• sig sjálft: itself

Questions & Answers about Barnið elskar sig sjálft.

What does the ending -ið in barnið mean?

The ending -ið is the neuter singular definite article attached to the noun. So barn = “child” and barnið = “the child.” Here it’s in the nominative case as the subject of the sentence.

Why is it sig and not hann/hana/það?

sig is the third‑person reflexive object pronoun. It always refers back to the subject of the same clause (“the child loves itself”). To refer to someone/something else, you use the ordinary third‑person pronouns:

• hann = him (masc)
• hana = her (fem)
• það = it (neuter, some other thing, not the subject)

What does sjálft add? Can I just say “Barnið elskar sig”?

sjálft (from the adjective sjálfur) is an emphatic “self,” roughly like adding emphasis to “itself.”

• Barnið elskar sig = “The child loves itself.” (perfectly correct)
• Barnið elskar sig sjálft adds emphasis: “The child loves itself (itself).”

Why is it sjálft and not sjálfan or sjálfa?

Because sjálfur agrees with the referent in gender and number. Barn is a neuter noun, so you use the neuter form sjálft (accusative here, though neuter nom/acc look the same).

• Masc subject: Drengurinn elskar sjálfan sig.
• Fem subject: Stúlkan elskar sjálfa sig.
• Neuter subject: Barnið elskar sjálft sig / Barnið elskar sig sjálft.

Which case is sig here, and why?

sig is accusative, because elska “to love” takes an accusative object. The reflexive forms are:

• Accusative: sig
• Dative: sér
• Genitive: sín Example with another case: Hún hjálpar sér (“She helps herself,” dative because hjálpa governs dative). Another: Hún skammast sín (“She is ashamed of herself,” genitive).

Is the word order fixed? Can I say “sjálft sig” instead of “sig sjálft”?

Both orders occur: sjálfan/sjálfa/sjálft sig and sig sjálfan/sjálfa/sjálft. Many learners are taught the pattern with sjálf- before sig (e.g., að elska sjálfan/sjálfa/sjálft sig), but your sentence’s order (… sig sjálft) is also natural.

Can I drop sig and just say “Barnið elskar sjálft” to mean “The child loves itself”?

No. sjálft on its own emphasizes the subject (“the child itself”), not reflexivity.

• “The child loves itself” requires sig: Barnið elskar sig (sjálft).
• To emphasize the subject in another context: Barnið sjálft elskar köttinn (“The child itself loves the cat”).

How do I say “The children love themselves”?

• Without extra emphasis: Börnin elska sig.
• With emphasis: Börnin elska sig sjálf or Börnin elska sjálf sig (note plural neuter sjálf to match börnin).

How do I say “The child loves him/her/it (someone/something else)”?

• Barnið elskar hann = the child loves him (a male).
• Barnið elskar hana = the child loves her (a female).
• Barnið elskar það = the child loves it (some other neuter thing). These are non‑reflexive and do not refer back to the subject.

What’s the difference between sig and sinn (own)?

• sig = reflexive object pronoun (himself/herself/itself/themselves).
• sinn/sín/sitt = reflexive possessive “own,” agreeing with the possessed noun. Examples:
• Barnið elskar hundinn sinn = “The child loves its own dog.”
• Barnið elskar hundinn hans/hennar = “The child loves his/her (someone else’s) dog.”

Who does sig refer to in subordinate clauses?

sig refers to the subject of its own clause.

• Mamman sagði að barnið elskaði sig. → sig = the child (subject of the embedded clause).
• Barnið sagði að mamman elskaði sig. → sig = the mother (subject of the embedded clause).

What form is elskar, and how is elska conjugated?

elskar is present tense, 3rd person singular of að elska (“to love”).

• Present: ég elska, þú elskar, hann/hún/það elskar, við elskum, þið elskið, þeir/þær/þau elska
• Past (sg.): elskaði (e.g., Barnið elskaði sig = “The child loved itself”)

How do I say “I love myself” or “You love yourself” in Icelandic?

Use the regular object pronouns (reflexive is only for 3rd person):

• Ég elska mig (optionally add emphasis: Ég elska sjálfan/sjálfa mig, depending on your gender).
• Þú elskar þig (optionally: Þú elskar sjálfan/sjálfa þig).

Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• ð in barnið is like the “th” in “this.”
• sj in sjálft sounds like English “sh.”
• á in sjálft sounds like the “ow” in “cow.”
• Final g in sig is a soft, fricative sound (not a hard “g”).
• The cluster -lft in sjálft is fully pronounced; the l is voiceless.