The genitive case expresses possession, similar to adding "'s" or using "of the" in English. In Icelandic, the word for the owner usually comes after the thing they own.
When the owning noun is definite, both the noun and its attached article take the genitive form.
| Gender | Definite Genitive Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | -sins | sjúklingsins (the patient's) |
| Neuter | -sins | sársins (of the wound) |
| Feminine | -arinnar | rannsóknarinnar (of the examination) |
Masculine and Neuter: -sins
For most masculine and neuter nouns, the genitive singular adds -s. With the definite article (-ins), this combined ending becomes -sins.
Notice how the owned object (höfuð) comes before the possessor (sjúklingsins):
| The doctor examines the patient's head. | Læknirinn skoðar höfuð sjúklingsins. |
| The doctor examined the color of the wound. | Læknirinn skoðaði lit sársins. |
| The patient gets the doctor's answer. | Sjúklingurinn fær svar læknisins. |
Feminine: -arinnar
Many feminine nouns form the genitive singular by adding -ar. With the definite article (-innar), this combined ending becomes -arinnar.
| The purpose of the examination is important. | Tilgangur rannsóknarinnar er mikilvægur. |
| The patient does not remember the time of the treatment. | Sjúklingurinn man ekki tíma meðferðarinnar. |
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