Breakdown of Eigandinn á hund sem sefur undir borðinu.
hundurinn
the dog
borðið
the table
sofa
to sleep
eiga
to own / to have (a relationship)
undir
under
sem
who / which / that
eigandinn
the owner
Questions & Answers about Eigandinn á hund sem sefur undir borðinu.
Why does the word for table change to borðinu after undir?
The preposition undir (under) triggers the dative case when it describes a static location. Because the dog is already under the table and just sleeping there, we use the dative definite form borðinu. If the dog were running under the table from across the room, we would use the accusative case instead to show motion.
Why is the word for dog hund here instead of hundur?
The verb eiga (to own) requires its object to be in the accusative case. For masculine words that end in -ur like hundur, the accusative form simply drops the -ur, leaving us with hund.
Why use á to mean "has" instead of a form of hafa?
In Icelandic, the verb eiga (which becomes á here) is used for actual, physical ownership, like owning a pet or a car. The verb hafa is primarily used as a helping verb (like in "I have slept") or for abstract concepts, so it wouldn't sound right here.
Does the word sem (that) change if the noun is feminine or plural?
No, sem is a completely unchangeable word! You can use it to mean "who," "which," or "that" for any noun, regardless of its gender, number, or case.
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