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Hann þrífur aldrei lyklaborðið hennar.

Hann þrífur aldrei lyklaborðið hennar.
He never cleans her keyboard.
From Lesson 83:Reflexive versus regular possessives (sinn, hans)·Icelandic

Questions & Answers about Hann þrífur aldrei lyklaborðið hennar.

Why is hennar used here instead of a reflexive word like sitt?
The reflexive words (sinn, sitt, sína, etc.) are only used when the object belongs to the subject of the sentence. Here, the subject is hann (he), but the keyboard belongs to a female (hennar). Since he is cleaning someone else's keyboard, you use the fixed word for "her".
Why does the noun have the definite article ending (-ið) if it is "her" keyboard?
In Icelandic, when you place a possessive word like hennar (her), hans (his), or þeirra (their) after the noun, the noun itself must have the definite article attached. So lyklaborðið hennar literally translates as "the keyboard of hers".
Why does the adverb aldrei come after the verb þrífur?
In Icelandic main clauses, adverbs of frequency like aldrei (never), alltaf (always), or oft (often) generally go immediately after the verb. This is different from English, where we put the adverb first and say "He never cleans".
Does the verb þrífa affect the case of lyklaborðið here?
Yes, þrífa (to clean) forces its direct object into the accusative case. However, because lyklaborð is a neuter noun, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its nominative (subject) form. The ending -ið is simply the standard neuter definite article for both cases.

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