Breakdown of Rándýrið faldi sig þegar það fann sporið á slóðinni.
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
finna
to find
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
sig
himself/herself/themselves (acc)
fela
to hide
þegar
when
sporið
the footprint (track, step)
slóðin
the trail
rándýrið
the predator
Questions & Answers about Rándýrið faldi sig þegar það fann sporið á slóðinni.
Why do we use the neuter pronoun það instead of hann or hún for the predator?
In Icelandic, pronouns used for animals usually follow the grammatical gender of the noun referring to them. Because the noun rándýr is neuter (as it ends with the neuter word dýr), the sentence uses the neuter pronoun það to refer back to it.
Why is the reflexive pronoun sig needed after faldi?
The verb fela (to hide) is a transitive verb, meaning it needs a direct object. In English, you can just say that someone hid, but in Icelandic, you must specify what they hid. Since the predator hid itself, we use the accusative reflexive pronoun sig.
Why is slóðinni in the dative case here?
The preposition á can govern either the accusative or the dative case. It triggers the dative when describing a stationary location or position (answering 'where?'). Because the footprint is already located on the trail, the feminine noun slóð takes the dative definite ending, becoming slóðinni.
How is the word rándýrið formed?
It is a compound word made from rán (robbery, plunder) and dýr (animal), giving the literal meaning of a 'plunder-animal'. The -ið at the end is the neuter singular definite article, making it 'the predator'.
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