Breakdown of Ég þvæ sængina mína núna.
ég
I
núna
now
minn
my (m, f, n: minn, mín, mitt)
þvo
to wash
sængin
the duvet
Questions & Answers about Ég þvæ sængina mína núna.
Why is the word for "my" mína here instead of the basic form minn?
Possessive pronouns in Icelandic change to match the gender, number, and case of the noun they own. The word for duvet (sæng) is feminine and is in the accusative case here. The feminine, singular, accusative form of minn is mína.
Doesn't sængina mean "the duvet"? Why use "the" if the sentence says "my duvet"?
Yes, sængina means "the duvet". Unlike English, Icelandic usually keeps the definite article attached to the noun when using possessive pronouns. So literally, you are saying "I wash the duvet my now".
Why is the duvet in the accusative case here?
The duvet is the direct object of the sentence—it is the thing directly receiving the action of being washed. In Icelandic, the direct object of most action verbs (like washing, seeing, or making) takes the accusative case.
The verb þvæ looks really strange. What is the basic dictionary form?
The infinitive (dictionary form) is þvo (to wash). It is a highly irregular verb in Icelandic, which is why the ég (I) form looks so different. You just have to memorize ég þvæ!
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