Hann elskar hundinn sinn.

He loves his dog.

Breakdown of Hann elskar hundinn sinn.

• hundurinn: the dog
• elska: to love
• hann: he
• sinn: his

Questions & Answers about Hann elskar hundinn sinn.

What does the word sinn mean here, and how is it different from hans or hennar?

sinn is the reflexive possessive pronoun. It means “his own/her own/its own” and must refer back to the grammatical subject of the same clause. Use the non‑reflexive forms hans (his) or hennar (her) when the owner is someone else, not the subject.

• Hann elskar hundinn sinn. = He loves his own dog.
• Hann elskar hundinn hans. = He loves his (another man’s) dog.
• Hann elskar hundinn hennar. = He loves her dog.

Why is it hundinn and not hundur or hundurinn?

Because the dog is the direct object of elska, which takes the accusative case. Hundinn is the definite accusative singular of hundur (dog).

• Nominative definite: hundurinn (subject form)
• Accusative definite: hundinn (object form used here)
• Indefinite stem: hundur (nom), hund (acc)

Where is “the” in Icelandic? Why isn’t there a separate word?

Icelandic attaches the definite article to the end of the noun. For masculine nouns like hundur:

• “the dog” (subject): hundurinn
• “the dog” (object): hundinn There’s no separate word like English “the.”

Why does the possessive come after the noun (hundinn sinn)? Can it come before?

With possessives like minn/þinn/sinn, the most common pattern is noun + definite article + possessive: hundinn sinn. You can also place the possessive before the noun, but then you normally drop the definite ending on the noun:

• Neutral/common: Hann elskar hundinn sinn.
• Also possible (more emphatic/formal): Hann elskar sinn hund.
• Wrong: Hann elskar sinn hundinn. (don’t double-mark definiteness)

Does sinn agree with the possessor (he/she) or with the possessed noun?

It agrees with the possessed noun in gender, number, and case, not with the possessor.

• Masculine singular object: Hann elskar hundinn sinn.
• Feminine singular object: Hann elskar konuna sína.
• Neuter singular object: Hann elskar barnið sitt.
• Plural masculine objects: Hann elskar hundana sína.

How do I say “She loves her dog” versus “She loves his dog”?

• “She loves her (own) dog”: Hún elskar hundinn sinn.
• “She loves his dog”: Hún elskar hundinn hans.

What if the subject is first or second person? Do I still use sinn?

No. sinn is only for third person (he/she/they/it) referring back to the subject. Use the regular possessives:

• I love my dog: Ég elska hundinn minn.
• You (sg.) love your dog: Þú elskar hundinn þinn.
• We love our dog: Við elskum hundinn okkar.
• You (pl.) love your dog: Þið elskið hundinn ykkar.

How would I say “He loves his dogs” (plural)?

• Most neutral: Hann elskar hundana sína. (accusative definite plural + reflexive possessive agreeing in plural)
• Preposed (no definite suffix): Hann elskar sína hunda.

What tense and person is elskar? How does elska conjugate?

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: elskaði (all persons; e.g., Hann elskaði hundinn sinn.)
• Past participle: elskað

Is there a more idiomatic way to say “be fond of” rather than the strong verb elska?

Yes: að þykja vænt um. It’s impersonal and takes the experiencer in the dative:

• “He is fond of his dog”: Honum þykir vænt um hundinn sinn. (NB: You can’t keep nominative Hann with þykir vænt um; it must be dative Honum.)

Can I just say “He loves the dog” without the possessive?

Yes: Hann elskar hundinn. That means he loves the (contextually known) dog. It doesn’t specify that the dog is his.

Why isn’t it Hann elskar hundurinn sinn?

Because hundurinn is nominative (subject form). As a direct object it must be accusative: hundinn. So the correct sentence is Hann elskar hundinn sinn.

How does sinn behave in longer sentences with multiple subjects? Who does it refer to?

sinn always refers to the subject of its own clause (the nearest governing subject).

• Jón segir að Pétur elski hundinn sinn. → sinn refers to Pétur (the subject of the embedded clause), not Jón.

How is the sentence pronounced (roughly)?

• Hann: initial H as in English; short A (like the A in “father” but shorter); double nn = a longer N.
• elskar: stress on the first syllable; r is tapped/trilled.
• hundinn: u like the short U in “put” (but more rounded/fronted); final -inn sounds like “-in”; double nn = longer N.
• sinn: short I (like “sit”); double nn = longer N. Stress is always on the first syllable of each word.

How does the noun hundur decline (just the forms you’re most likely to meet here)?

• Indefinite singular: nominative hundur, accusative hund, dative hundi, genitive hunds
• Definite singular: nominative hundurinn, accusative hundinn
• Indefinite plural: nominative hundar, accusative hunda
• Definite plural: nominative hundarnir, accusative hundana