Breakdown of Þegar ég kom heim, svaf hundurinn.
hundurinn
the dog
ég
I
sofa
to sleep
koma
to come
heim
home
þegar
when
Questions & Answers about Þegar ég kom heim, svaf hundurinn.
Why do we use þegar here instead of hvenær for "when"?
Hvenær is a question word used to ask "when" something happens. Þegar is a connecting word used to state that one event happened at the same time as another, which is exactly what we need to link these two past events.
Why does the second part say svaf hundurinn (slept the dog) instead of hundurinn svaf?
This is because of the V2 (verb-second) rule! In Icelandic, the verb of the main clause must be the second piece of information. The entire "when" phrase (Þegar ég kom heim) counts as block number one. So, the main verb svaf must come immediately next, pushing the subject (hundurinn) after it.
Why is the word for home heim here instead of heima?
Heim shows movement or direction toward your home, which pairs with the motion verb koma (to come). You use heima when there is no movement and you are already in a fixed location, like Ég er heima (I am at home).
How do we get svaf from the verb sofa (to sleep)?
Sofa is a "strong" verb, meaning it doesn't take a standard past tense ending like -ði. Instead, it changes its core vowel in the past tense, turning into svaf for I, he, she, and it.
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