Breakdown of Hún býr á Íslandi.
hún
she
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
Ísland
Iceland
búa
to live (in a place), to dwell
Questions & Answers about Hún býr á Íslandi.
Why do we use á instead of í to say "in Iceland"?
In Icelandic, you generally use í (in) for countries and cities. However, for islands, you use á (on). Since Iceland is an island, you literally say that you live "on Iceland" (á Íslandi).
Why is there an extra "i" at the end of Íslandi?
The preposition á makes the noun following it change its form depending on its role in the sentence. When talking about a fixed location, like where someone currently lives, á requires the dative form of the noun. For the word Ísland, the dative form adds an -i to the end, becoming Íslandi.
What is the dictionary form of the verb býr?
The dictionary form is búa (to live or reside). It is an irregular verb where the vowel changes in the singular forms: ég bý (I live), þú býrð (you live), and hún býr (she lives).