Vatnið eyðileggur húsið.

the water

Breakdown of Vatnið eyðileggur húsið.

• húsið: the house
• eyðileggja: to destroy; ruin

Questions & Answers about Vatnið eyðileggur húsið.

Why do both vatnið and húsið end in -ið?

Because both nouns are neuter singular definite forms.

In Icelandic, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word. So:

• vatn → vatnið
• hús → húsið

Here, both nouns are in forms where neuter singular definite happens to look like -ið.

What are the dictionary forms of the words in this sentence?

The dictionary forms are:

• vatn = the base form of vatnið
• eyðileggja = the infinitive/base form of eyðileggur
• hús = the base form of húsið

So the sentence uses:

• a definite form of vatn
• the present-tense form of eyðileggja
• a definite form of hús

Which word is the subject, and which is the object?