Word
Hvar er bensínið?
Meaning
Where is the petrol?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
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Questions & Answers about Hvar er bensínið?
Why does bensín have -ið at the end?
In Icelandic, the definite article (the word for "the") attaches to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word. Because bensín is a neuter noun in the nominative case, it takes the suffix -ið, making bensínið mean "the petrol".
Could I use hvert instead of hvar here?
No, because hvar asks about a stationary location ("where at"), which fits the verb er (is). The word hvert asks about movement or destination ("where to"), which you would use with action verbs like fara (to go).
How would I answer "There is no petrol" using the grammar from this lesson?
You need to match the word for "no" or "none" to the noun's gender and case. Bensín is a neuter noun. In the nominative case, the neuter form of enginn is ekkert. So you would answer: Það er ekkert bensín.
Does the accent on the í in bensínið change how it is pronounced?
Yes, in Icelandic, letters with accents are treated as completely different vowels, not just stressed syllables. The í sounds like the "ee" in "feet", whereas an unaccented i sounds more like the short "i" in "fit".