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Questions & Answers about Hér er bréfið.
Why does the word for letter end in "-ið"?
In Icelandic, the word for "the" attaches to the end of the noun. The basic word for "a letter" is bréf (a neuter noun). To say "the letter", we add the ending -ið, making it bréfið.
Since this lesson is about the accusative case, is bréfið in the accusative here?
No, bréfið is in the nominative case here. The verb vera (to be) doesn't take a direct object. It just states that something exists or equates two things, so words connected by er (is) stay in their dictionary form (nominative). You'll see the accusative case when an action is actually happening to the letter, like if someone is reading or writing it.
Why is the verb er before the subject bréfið?
Icelandic uses a strict "verb-second" rule. Because the sentence starts with the adverb Hér (Here), the verb er must step into the second position, pushing the subject bréfið to the third spot.
How do you pronounce the letters "é" and "f" in bréfið?
The letter "é" is pronounced like "ye" in the English word "yes". Additionally, a single "f" in the middle of a word usually sounds like an English "v". Combined with the soft "th" sound of the final "ð", bréfið sounds roughly like "brye-vith".