Breakdown of Leigjandinn á þriðju hæð veit ekki nákvæmlega hvenær viðgerðin byrjar.
Questions & Answers about Leigjandinn á þriðju hæð veit ekki nákvæmlega hvenær viðgerðin byrjar.
-inn is the definite article suffix attached to the noun.
- leigjandi = a tenant (indefinite)
- leigjandinn = the tenant (definite)
This is one of the main ways Icelandic marks “the” (instead of using a separate word like English).
It’s nominative singular (masculine), because it’s the subject of the main verb veit (knows).
A common clue: dictionary form leigjandi is nominative, and the definite nominative singular is leigjandinn.
Because á with a location meaning (“on/at” a place) typically takes the dative in Icelandic.
- hæð is feminine, and here it’s dative singular: hæð (same spelling as nominative, but the case is different)
- The ordinal þriðji (third) becomes þriðju because it must agree with hæð in gender (feminine), number (singular), and case (dative).
So: á þriðju hæð = on the third floor.
Both can occur, but they differ in style/feel:
- á þriðju hæð is very common and often feels like a fixed “address-like” phrase: on the third floor. The ordinal already makes it specific, so the noun is often left without the separate definiteness marking.
- á þriðju hæðinni is also correct and can feel a bit more explicit/pointing: on the third floor (the one we’re talking about).
In everyday usage, á þriðju hæð is extremely natural.
Icelandic is a V2 language in main clauses: the finite verb tends to be the second “slot” in the clause.
Here the first slot is the subject Leigjandinn á þriðju hæð (the subject plus its location phrase), and then the verb comes:
- Leigjandinn á þriðju hæð (slot 1)
- veit (slot 2)
So it still satisfies the V2 pattern.
In Icelandic, ekki (not) normally comes after the finite verb in a main clause:
- veit ekki = does not know
This is a very typical negation placement, especially with simple verb forms.
nákvæmlega is an adverb meaning exactly / precisely. It commonly appears:
- after ekki: veit ekki nákvæmlega …
or sometimes in slightly different positions depending on emphasis, but the given placement is very neutral and natural.
Because hvenær introduces a subordinate clause here (“when …”), not a direct question.
Main clause:
- Leigjandinn … veit ekki nákvæmlega …
Subordinate clause:
- hvenær viðgerðin byrjar = when the repair begins
In Icelandic subordinate clauses, you usually get subject + verb order (no V2 inversion), so viðgerðin comes before byrjar.
viðgerðin is nominative singular definite (feminine):
- viðgerð = repair (a repair job)
- viðgerðin = the repair
It’s nominative because it’s the subject of byrjar in the subordinate clause.
byrjar is the present tense, 3rd person singular form of the verb byrja (to begin/start).
- infinitive: að byrja
- present (3sg): (hann/hún/það) byrjar
Icelandic splits “know” into different verbs:
- vita (veit) = know a fact / be aware of information
- fits here: not knowing when something starts is not knowing information.
- kunna (kann) = know how / be able; know (a language)
- e.g. Ég kann íslensku.
- þekkja (þekkir) = be acquainted with / know (a person/place)
- e.g. Ég þekki hann.
So veit is the natural choice.
In modern Icelandic, a comma before a subordinate clause like hvenær viðgerðin byrjar is often not used (and many writers omit it). Older or more conservative comma habits might insert one, but the no-comma version is very common and acceptable in contemporary writing.
Key pronunciation points:
- þ = voiceless th like in think
- þriðju
- ð = voiced th like in this (often very soft, and sometimes not strongly pronounced)
- appears inside words like viðgerðin
- ei in veit sounds like a long vowel roughly like “ay” (but Icelandic-quality)
- á is a clear “ow/au”-like long vowel (not like English “a”) in á þriðju hæð