Questions & Answers about Sá er með mjög kunnuglegan svip.
Why use sá here instead of það or hann?
Sá is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "that one." It's masculine singular here, meaning it points specifically to a man or a masculine noun. While hann just means "he," sá actively points the person out, like saying "That guy over there." You wouldn't use það because that is neuter and used for general situations or unspecified objects, not specific masculine people.
Why does the sentence use er með (is with) to mean "has" instead of the verb að hafa?
In Icelandic, the phrase vera með is the standard way to express having physical attributes, features, or things on your person. Since a facial expression or "look" is a physical feature you "carry" on your face, er með is the natural choice. The verb að hafa is usually saved for abstract concepts, like having an idea or having time.
Why are the words kunnuglegan svip in the accusative case?
The preposition með requires the accusative case when it means "having," "holding," or "carrying" something. The base dictionary forms are kunnuglegur (familiar) and svipur (facial expression), which are both masculine singular. After með, they drop their nominative -ur endings and take their accusative forms: kunnuglegan and svip.
Can I use svip to talk about the "look" of a house or a car?