Learn Icelandic: Læknirinn hlustar á hjartað í mér.

In Icelandic, when talking about internal body parts, you generally do not use possessive pronouns like mitt. Instead, you use the definite form of the noun (hjartað) followed by the preposition í and a pronoun in the dative case (mér). You are literally saying 'the heart in me.'

Does the verb phrase hlusta á dictate the case of hjartað?

Yes, the verb hlusta paired with the preposition á (to listen to) always requires the following noun to be in the accusative case. Because hjarta is a neuter noun, its accusative form is identical to its nominative form, giving us hjartað when we add the definite article.

Why must the pronoun be mér rather than mig?

The preposition í takes the dative case when it describes a static location or, as in this lesson, inalienable possession of an internal organ. Because the heart is located 'in' the speaker, the dative pronoun mér is required.

Is hjarta an exception to standard neuter nouns since it ends in a vowel?

Yes, hjarta is part of a small group called weak neuter nouns. Unlike most neuter nouns that end in a consonant, these end in -a. They are very consistent and keep the -a ending in the nominative, accusative, and dative cases.