Auk þess er húsið of lítið.

Questions & Answers about Auk þess er húsið of lítið.

Why does the verb er come before the subject húsið?
Icelandic uses the V2 (verb-second) rule. Because the sentence begins with the phrase Auk þess (in addition), the verb er must immediately follow it to stay in the second position. The subject húsið is then pushed to the other side of the verb.
Why is the pronoun þess used here instead of það?
The preposition auk (besides or in addition to) requires the word following it to be in the genitive case. Þess is the genitive form of það, so auk þess literally means besides that.
Why is the adjective lítið used instead of lítill?
Adjectives must match the gender, number, and case of the noun they describe. Húsið (the house) is a neuter noun in the singular nominative case, so the adjective takes the matching neuter form lítið.
Is the word of related to the English word with the same spelling?
No, they just look identical. In Icelandic, when of is placed before an adjective like lítið, it is an adverb meaning too or excessively.

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