Breakdown of Þessi kona er frá Suður-Ameríku.
vera
to be
konan
the woman
frá
from
þessi
this (m/f)
Suður-Ameríka
South America
Questions & Answers about Þessi kona er frá Suður-Ameríku.
Why does the sentence use Ameríku instead of Ameríka?
The preposition frá (from) always forces the noun that follows it into the dative case. Ameríka is a weak feminine noun, which means it ends in -a in the dictionary form (nominative) but changes to -u in all other cases, including the dative.
Why do we use þessi for "this" here?
The word for "this" must match the gender, number, and case of the noun it describes. Kona is a feminine noun in the nominative singular, so we use þessi. Remember that þessi is used for both masculine and feminine nouns in the nominative, while neuter nouns use þetta.
Should I always use a hyphen for continents with directions, like Suður-Ameríka?
Yes, in Icelandic, compound geographical names like North/South America or East/West Germany are written with a hyphen, and both parts are capitalized.
I've sometimes seen an article added after þessi (like þessi konan). Why is it just kona here?
In standard written Icelandic, a noun following a demonstrative pronoun like þessi stays in its indefinite form without an attached article. While you might hear þessi konan in casual spoken Icelandic for added emphasis, þessi kona is the grammatically correct standard form.
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