Pósthúsið lokar seint í dag, því miður.

to close

Breakdown of Pósthúsið lokar seint í dag, því miður.

• seint: late
• í dag: today
• pósthúsið: the post office

Questions & Answers about Pósthúsið lokar seint í dag, því miður.

Why is the definite ending -ið attached to pósthúsið?

Icelandic uses a suffixed definite article. The noun pósthús (neuter) becomes pósthúsið in the definite nominative/accusative singular. So pósthúsið means the post office.

What case is pósthúsið here, and how can I tell?

It’s nominative singular. It’s the subject of the verb lokar (closes). Neuter nouns have the same form in nominative and accusative, but since it’s the subject, nominative is intended.

Why is the verb loka conjugated as lokar?

Lokar is the 3rd person singular present tense, matching the singular subject (pósthúsið). Present tense of að loka:

• ég loka
• þú lokar
• hann/hún/það lokar
• við lokum
• þið lokið
• þeir/þær/þau loka

Does loka take an object, and if so, which case?

Yes, when it’s transitive, loka governs the dative: you loka einhverju (close something). Example: loka hurðinni (close the door – dative). In your sentence it’s intransitive: the post office closes.