Frostið á rúðunni bráðnar þegar sólin skín.

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Breakdown of Frostið á rúðunni bráðnar þegar sólin skín.

• þegar: when
• sólin: the sun
• skína: to shine

Questions & Answers about Frostið á rúðunni bráðnar þegar sólin skín.

Why is it frostið and not frost?

Frost is the basic noun, and -ið is the definite article attached to the end. So frostið means the frost.

In this sentence, frostið is also the subject of the main clause, so it is in the nominative singular. Because frost is a neuter noun, the definite form here is frostið.

Why is it á rúðunni? What case is rúðunni?

Here á means on, and it is being used for location: the frost is on the window.

With many Icelandic prepositions, the case changes depending on meaning. Á often takes:

• dative for location: on
• accusative for motion toward something: onto

Since the frost is already sitting on the window, Icelandic uses the dative, so:

• rúða = window / pane
• rúðunni = the window / the pane in dative singular

Does rúða really mean window?

More literally, rúða means pane, windowpane, or the glass part of a window.