Breakdown of Garðslangan hennar Önnu er því miður ónýt.
vera
to be
hennar
her / hers (genitive)
Anna
Anna
því miður
unfortunately
garðslangan
the garden hose
ónýtur
ruined
Questions & Answers about Garðslangan hennar Önnu er því miður ónýt.
Why do we use hennar in garðslangan hennar Önnu?
This is the most common, colloquial way to show possession with people's names in Icelandic. Instead of just saying Anna's hose, you use a structure that literally translates to the garden hose her Anna's: Definite noun + hans or hennar + Genitive name.
Why is garðslanga (garden hose) in the definite form (garðslangan) if it belongs to Anna?
When you use this colloquial ownership structure with names, the noun being owned must always have the definite article attached to it. English drops the word the when a possessive is used, but Icelandic requires it here.
Why does the name Anna change to Önnu?
Why is the adjective ónýt (ruined) in this specific form rather than ónýtur or ónýtt?
Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. Since garðslangan is a feminine, singular noun, the adjective drops the masculine -ur or neuter -tt endings to become the feminine singular form, ónýt.
How does the phrase því miður mean unfortunately?
It is a very common fixed phrase. Literally, it translates to something like by that, worse. Því is the dative form of that, and miður is a comparative word meaning worse or less.
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