The Demonstrative Pronoun "Sá"
To point someone out or refer to a specific individual, use the demonstrative pronoun sá (that / that one / the one). It changes based on gender and grammatical case. This lesson focuses on the masculine and feminine forms.
The Nominative Case
In the nominative case (used for the subject), the pronoun is sá for masculine and sú for feminine.
| Gender | Nominative |
|---|---|
| Masculine | sá |
| Feminine | sú |
You can use these entirely on their own to mean "that one," often followed by a description of where the person is or what they are wearing.
| Who is that one over there at the gathering? | Hver er sá þarna á samkomunni? |
| That one has a very familiar look. | Sá er með mjög kunnuglegan svip. |
| That one in the corner is my friend. | Sú í horninu er vinkona mín. |
The Accusative Case
When "that one" is the direct object—such as the person you see, know, or want to meet—use the accusative case. The masculine form becomes þann, and the feminine form becomes þá.
| Gender | Accusative |
|---|---|
| Masculine | þann |
| Feminine | þá |
| I know that one in the suit. | Ég þekki þann í jakkafötunum. |
| I see that bald one over there. | Ég sé þann sköllótta þarna. |
This is also used when referring to "the one who...", linking directly to the relative particle sem.
| We know the one who is standing in the corner. | Við þekkjum þann sem stendur í horninu. |
Pointing Out Specific Nouns
Instead of standing alone as "that one," these pronouns can be placed directly in front of a noun (like "that man" or "that woman"). The pronoun and noun must match in both gender and case.
In the nominative case (subject):
| That man is suspected of the crime. | Sá maður er grunaður um glæpinn. |
| That woman there is the boss. | Sú kona þarna er stjórinn. |
In the accusative case (object):
| I want to meet that man again. | Mig langar að hitta þann mann aftur. |
| Some see that woman, but others do not see her. | Sumir sjá þá konu, en aðrir sjá hana ekki. |
