Questions & Answers about Þetta er íbúð Kristínar.
Why does the name Kristín have an -ar ending here?
The -ar ending shows possession, just like the apostrophe-s in English. This is called the genitive case. For many feminine names that end in a consonant, like Kristín, you add -ar to make it possessive.
Why is the order íbúð Kristínar instead of Kristínar íbúð?
In Icelandic, the word for the owner usually comes right after the thing they own. So instead of saying Kristín's apartment, the sentence is structured literally as apartment Kristín's.
The word íbúð is a feminine noun, so why do we use the neuter word þetta for this?
Should it be íbúðin (the apartment) since we are talking about a specific apartment?
No, when a noun is followed by a proper name to show ownership, the thing being owned stays in its basic, indefinite form. So you say íbúð Kristínar (apartment Kristín's) rather than using the definite form íbúðin.
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