Sokkarnir mínir eru þurrir, en skórnir eru kaldir.

to be

Breakdown of Sokkarnir mínir eru þurrir, en skórnir eru kaldir.

• kaldur: cold
• minn: my
• en: but

Questions & Answers about Sokkarnir mínir eru þurrir, en skórnir eru kaldir.

Why is sokkarnir used instead of sokkar?

Sokkar is the indefinite plural nominative form: socks (in general).
Sokkarnir adds the definite article as an ending: the socks.

Icelandic usually attaches the definite article to the end of the noun, instead of putting a separate word like English the in front:

• sokkur – a sock (singular, indefinite)
• sokkar – socks (plural, indefinite)
• sokkarnir – the socks (plural, definite)

So sokkarnir mínir literally means “the socks my”, which corresponds to English “my socks.”

Why do we say sokkarnir mínir instead of mínir sokkar?

In Icelandic, possessive pronouns usually come after the noun, especially in everyday, neutral sentences:

• sokkarnir mínir – my socks (literally the socks my)
• skórnir mínir – my shoes

You can put the possessive before the noun (mínir sokkar), but that usually adds emphasis or contrast, something like:

• Mínir sokkar eru þurrir, en hans sokkar eru blautir.
  My socks are dry, but his socks are wet.

So:

• sokkarnir mínir = normal, neutral way to say my socks