Question 1

Why use þann instead of sá here?

Accepted Answer

þann is the accusative masculine singular form of sá (that / the one). It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb sé (see). It is masculine because the speaker is referring to a male.

Question 2

Why does the adjective sköllótta end in -a instead of the usual accusative -an?

Accepted Answer

Because it comes after the demonstrative pronoun þann, the adjective must use the weak declension. For a masculine accusative singular adjective, the weak ending is -a. If you were just saying 'I see a bald man' without the word 'that', you would use the strong ending -an and say ég sé sköllóttan mann.

Question 3

Where is the word for 'one' or 'man' in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Icelandic often drops the noun when it is obvious from the context. The masculine pronoun þann and the masculine adjective sköllótta do all the work of telling us the speaker means 'that bald male person'. You do not need to add a word like mann (man) unless you want to be extra specific.

Question 4

What is the difference between þarna and þar?

Accepted Answer

Both mean 'there', but þarna is used when you are actively pointing something out in your physical surroundings, like saying 'over there' or 'right there'. þar is used for a more general 'there' or when referring back to a place you were just talking about.

Ég sé þann sköllótta þarna.

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