Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Sonur bóndans elskar hestana og leikur sér með þeim á hverjum degi. - The farmer's son loves the horses and plays with them every day.

In Icelandic, when a noun is directly followed by a possessor in the genitive (like bóndans), that noun is normally left indefinite in form, even though the whole phrase is definite in meaning.

sonur bóndans literally: son of-the farmer
→ understood as the farmer’s son

If you said sonurinn bóndans, it would sound odd or overly marked, a bit like saying “the son the farmer’s” in English.

So:

The possessive/genitive construction itself makes the phrase definite, and you do not need (and usually don’t use) the definite ending -inn on sonur here.

What exactly is going on with bóndans? Why doesn’t it just stay bóndi?

bóndans is the genitive singular definite form of bóndi (farmer).

Declension (singular) of bóndi:

Nominative: bóndi – a farmer (subject form)
Accusative: bónda
Dative: bónda
Genitive: bónda

Now add the definite article (the suffix form of “the”):

Nominative definite: bóndinn – the farmer
Accusative definite: bóndann
Dative definite: bóndanum
Genitive definite: bóndans

In sonur bóndans, we need genitive because “farmer” is a possessor (“of the farmer”), and we want the farmer, so we use bóndans.

Why is the order sonur bóndans and not bóndans sonur, like “farmer’s son” in English?

Icelandic usually puts the thing possessed first, and the possessor (in the genitive) after:

sonur bóndans – literally “son the-farmer’s”
bók kennarans – the teacher’s book
hús nágrannans – the neighbour’s house

You can also sometimes see compound words like bóndasonur (“farmer’s-son” as one word), but in the normal phrase with a genitive, the pattern is:

[possessed noun] + [possessor in genitive]

What form is hestana, and why does it look like that?

hestana is accusative plural definite of hestur (“horse”).

Declension (plural) of hestur (no article):

Nominative plural: hestar
Accusative plural: hesta
Dative plural: hestum
Genitive plural: hesta

With the definite article:

Nominative plural definite: hestarnir – the horses (as subject)
Accusative plural definite: hestana – the horses (as direct object)
Dative plural definite: hestunum
Genitive plural definite: hestanna

In the sentence, hestana is the direct object of elskar (“loves”), so it must be in the accusative, and we’re talking about the horses, so we need the definite form: hestana.

Why is it hestana and not hestarnir for “the horses”?

The choice is about case, not just definiteness:

hestarnir = nominative plural definite (subject form)
- e.g. Hestarnir hlaupa. – The horses run.
hestana = accusative plural definite (object form)
- e.g. Ég sé hestana. – I see the horses.

In Sonur bóndans elskar hestana, the horses are loved (they are the direct object of elskar), so Icelandic needs the accusative, hence hestana.

What does leikur sér literally mean, and why do we need sér?

The verb leika means to play or to act/perform.

There are two important patterns:

leika (without sér)
- often means to act, perform, play a role
- e.g. Hún leikur í bíómynd. – She acts in a movie.
leika sér (with the reflexive sér)
- idiomatic expression meaning to play, amuse oneself, have fun
- literally: “play to/for oneself”

sér is the dative reflexive pronoun (3rd person), used with many verbs to form idiomatic meanings:

leika sér – to play
hvíla sig – to rest oneself
fela sig – to hide (oneself)

So leikur sér is necessary here to give the natural meaning “(he) plays / has fun”, not “(he) acts”.

What is sér as a pronoun? Why not use honum (“him”)?

sér is the 3rd person reflexive pronoun in the dative case. It always refers back to the subject of the clause.

Reflexive pronoun forms (3rd person):

Accusative: sig
Dative: sér
Genitive: sín

Unlike English, Icelandic reflexive pronouns are separate from the normal “him/her/them” forms.

leikur sér – he plays (for himself)
If you said leikur honum, that would mean “plays to him / for him” (some other man), not for himself.

In leikur sér, sér must be reflexive because it is “the farmer’s son” who is playing and enjoying himself.

Why is it með þeim and not með þá after leikur sér?

The preposition með can take either dative or accusative, with a difference in usage:

með + dative: “with” in the sense of in company with / using / accompanied by
með + accusative: often “with” in the sense “taking/bringing along” or more dynamic movement.

In idiomatic combinations like leika sér með e-ð, you use með + dative:

leikur sér með hestunum / þeim – plays with the horses / them (as companions or toys).

So þeim is dative plural:

Nominative: þeir (they)
Accusative: þá
Dative: þeim
Genitive: þeirra

Because með here takes dative, you must say með þeim, not með þá.

Why is þeim used at all? Could you just say leikur sér með hestana and leave out “them”?

You could say:

Sonur bóndans elskar hestana og leikur sér með hestana á hverjum degi.

That is grammatically fine, but a bit repetitive. The more natural style is:

… elskar hestana og leikur sér með þá/þeim á hverjum degi.

Icelandic normally does not drop object pronouns the way some other languages do. After mentioning hestana, you refer back to them with a pronoun (þá or þeim, depending on the case needed by the preposition/verb).

In this specific sentence, með calls for dative, so með þeim is the correct and natural choice.

Why is it á hverjum degi and not something like á hvern dag?

The phrase á hverjum degi literally means “on each day”, with both words in the dative singular:

á – preposition “on, at, in”
hverjum – “each/every”, dative singular masculine/neuter
degi – “day”, dative singular of dagur

á often takes the dative for time expressions meaning “on (a regular time)”:

á mánudögum – on Mondays
á kvöldin – in the evenings
á hverjum degi – every day

You can also say hvern dag (accusative, without á):

Hann gerir þetta hvern dag. – He does this every day.

But if you use á, the idiomatic form here is á hverjum degi with the dative.

What form is hverjum, and how does it agree with degi?

hverjum is the dative singular of hver (“each / every / which (one)”).

Masculine hver (sg.):

Nominative: hver
Accusative: hvern
Dative: hverjum
Genitive: hvers

dagur (“day”) is masculine, and in á hverjum degi it is in the dative singular (degi). The adjective/determiner hverjum must agree with degi in:

gender: masculine
number: singular
case: dative

Hence: hverjum degi.

Why is the present tense elskar / leikur used for “every day”? Is that the usual way to describe habits?

Yes. Icelandic uses the simple present tense for regular, habitual actions, just like English often does:

Hann les bók á kvöldin. – He reads a book in the evenings.
Við förum í sund á miðvikudögum. – We go swimming on Wednesdays.
Sonur bóndans elskar hestana og leikur sér með þeim á hverjum degi.
– The farmer’s son loves the horses and plays with them every day.

There is no separate progressive tense (is playing) in Icelandic; the simple present leikur covers both general habits and ongoing present, with the context (like á hverjum degi) showing that it is a habitual action.