Learn Icelandic: Við keyptum sitthvort húsið.

In Icelandic, when you use sitthvor to mean 'each their own' or 'one each', the noun that follows must have the definite article attached to it. Literally, the sentence translates as 'We bought each the house.'

Why is sitthvort in the neuter singular form when við (we) is plural?

The compound word sitthvort agrees with the object being bought, not the people buying it. Since hús is a neuter noun, and the meaning implies one house per person (singular), it takes the neuter singular form. It is also in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb keyptum.

Why is sitthvort written as one word instead of two?

In modern Icelandic, the single-word compound sitthvor is very commonly used as a simpler alternative to the traditional two-word phrase sinn hvor. It is easier to use because it simply declines like a regular adjective to match the noun it modifies. The older two-word version requires a complex split declension that often trips up even native speakers!

Could I use sérhvert or hvert to mean 'each' in this sentence?