Breakdown of Hún á granna vini.
hún
she
vinurinn
the friend
eiga
to own / to have (a relationship)
grannur
slim, slender
Questions & Answers about Hún á granna vini.
Why does this sentence use á for "has" instead of hefur?
In Icelandic, the verb hafa (to have) is mostly used as a helping verb or for abstract concepts. When talking about family members, pets, or friends, you use the verb eiga (to own). Á is the "she" form of eiga.
Why is the word for friends vini here instead of vinir?
The verb eiga forces the following noun into the accusative case because it is the direct object of the sentence. The masculine noun vinur (friend) becomes vinir in the plural nominative (subject) form, but changes to vini in the plural accusative (object) form.
Why does the adjective granna end in an "-a"?
Adjectives must match the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. Because vini is masculine, plural, and in the accusative case, the base adjective grannur (slim) takes the masculine accusative plural ending, becoming granna.
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