Learn Icelandic: Er öklinn á þér ennþá bólginn?

For external body parts like an ankle (ökli), Icelandic typically uses the definite form of the noun (öklinn) followed by the preposition á and the dative form of the pronoun (þér). Saying öklinn þinn would sound like you are referring to a detached ankle that you happen to own, rather than a part of your own body!

Why does the adjective bólginn end in -inn here?

Adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. Ökli is a masculine noun, and because it is the subject of this sentence, it is in the nominative case. Therefore, we use the masculine nominative singular form of the adjective, which is bólginn.

If we were asking about a feminine body part, how would the sentence change?

The definite noun and the adjective would both need to change to their feminine forms. For example, if you asked about a shoulder (öxl), the sentence would be Er öxlin á þér ennþá bólgin? Notice how the adjective bólginn drops the last n. The possession phrase á þér stays exactly the same, because þér is just the dative form of 'you'.

Can I use enn instead of ennþá?