Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Bókin er þar.
Why is it bókin instead of just bók?
In Icelandic, the word for "the" isn't a separate word before the noun like it is in English. Instead, it attaches to the end as a suffix. Bók means "a book", and adding the ending -in makes it bókin ("the book").
How do I know whether to add -in, -inn, or -ið to mean "the"?
It depends on the noun's grammatical gender! Nouns in Icelandic are masculine, feminine, or neuter. Bók is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine ending -in. Masculine nouns typically get -inn, and neuter nouns get -ið.
Since we recently learned Þetta er, could I say Þetta er bókin þar?
Not quite. You use Þetta er ("This is") to introduce something new, usually with a basic noun, like Þetta er bók ("This is a book"). Because this sentence talks about a specific, already-known book and tells us its location, you just start with the definite noun: Bókin er þar ("The book is there").
What is the difference between þar and þarna?
Both mean "there," but they are used a bit differently. Þar is a general "there" used to state a location, often one you can't necessarily see right now. Þarna is a pointing word, used when you are physically showing someone that something is right over "there" in your line of sight.