Breakdown of Leikvöllurinn er bakvið kirkjuna, en kaffihúsið er rétt framhjá torginu.
vera
to be
en
but
kaffihúsið
the café
torgið
the square
Questions & Answers about Leikvöllurinn er bakvið kirkjuna, en kaffihúsið er rétt framhjá torginu.
Why isn’t there a separate word for the in this sentence?
Because Icelandic usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.
So here:
- leikvöllurinn = the playground
- kaffihúsið = the café
- kirkjuna = the church
- torginu = the square
The exact ending changes depending on the noun’s gender, number, and case.
What are the dictionary forms of the nouns in this sentence?
The base forms are:
- leikvöllur = playground
- kirkja = church
- kaffihús = café / coffeehouse
- torg = square
The forms in the sentence are changed because of definiteness and case.
Why is it kirkjuna, not kirkjunni?
Because after bakvið in this sentence, the noun is in the accusative.
- kirkja = base form
- kirkjuna = definite accusative singular
- kirkjunni = definite dative singular
So kirkjuna is the form that fits this prepositional phrase. In Icelandic, you usually have to learn prepositions together with the case they use.
Why is it torginu after framhjá?