Questions & Answers about Hér skín sólin alltaf.
This lesson teaches the dummy subject það for weather. Why is there no það in this sentence?
We use the dummy subject það (it) when there isn't a real noun doing the action, like in Það rignir (It rains). But in this sentence, the verb skín (shines) has a real, specific subject doing the action: sólin (the sun). Because we have an actual subject, we don't need það!
Why does the verb skín come before the subject sólin?
This happens because of the strict V2 (verb-second) rule. The verb must be the second piece of information in a standard statement. Since this sentence starts with the adverb Hér (Here), the verb skín (shines) takes the second position, pushing the subject sólin to the third position.
How does the word sólin mean "the sun"?
In Icelandic, the word for "the" attaches to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word before it. Sól means "sun" and is a feminine noun. To say "the sun", we attach the feminine ending -in to make sólin.
Why is alltaf at the very end of the sentence?
Adverbs like alltaf (always) usually come right after the verb. However, when a sentence starts with a word like Hér, the subject gets pushed after the verb. The standard order then becomes Verb + Subject + Adverb, which bumps alltaf to the very end of this short sentence.
Learn Hér skín sólin alltaf and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free