Questions & Answers about Ég þurrka hárið mitt með handklæðinu eftir sturtu.
Where is the word the in this sentence?
In Icelandic, the is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word.
So here:
- hár = hair
- hárið = the hair
- handklæði = towel
- handklæðinu = with the towel
So the sentence does include the; it is just built into the noun forms.
Why does Icelandic say hárið mitt instead of just using a possessive the way English does?
Because Icelandic very often uses a definite noun + possessive pronoun for things that belong to someone, especially with personal items and body parts.
So hárið mitt is the normal everyday way to say my hair. Literally it looks like the hair my, but that is standard Icelandic structure.
You may also see mitt hár, but hárið mitt is the more neutral, natural choice here.
Why is the possessive mitt and not minn or mín?