Hann er sonur minn.

to be

Breakdown of Hann er sonur minn.

• hann: he
• minn: my
• sonur: the son

Questions & Answers about Hann er sonur minn.

Why is the word order sonur minn and not minn sonur, like English my son?

In Icelandic, possessive pronouns like minn usually come after the noun:

• sonur minn = my son
• bíll minn = my car
• mamma mín = my mom

So sonur minn is the normal, neutral word order.
You can say minn sonur, but that word order adds emphasis on minn (“he is *my son* (not someone else’s)”) rather than just stating a fact.

---

Is Hann er minn sonur also correct, and does it mean the same thing?

Yes, Hann er minn sonur is grammatically correct and means essentially the same: He is my son.

The difference is nuance:

• Hann er sonur minn. – neutral, most common phrasing.
• Hann er minn sonur. – emphasizes minn, as in He is *my son (not someone else’s) or *I’m the one who is his father/mother.

In casual speech, you will most often hear sonur minn.

---

Why is there no word for a or the in Hann er sonur minn?