Viðskeyttur greinir (-inn/-in/-ið)

A1 — Greinir

The suffixed definite article: -inn (m), -in (f), -ið (n) and their case forms

Can form definite nouns using the suffixed article -inn/-in/-ið

Examples

Hundurinn er stór. — The dog is big.
Konan er læknir. — The woman is a doctor.
Barnið sefur. — The child is sleeping.

GreinirA1

Suffixed Definite Article

The suffixed definite article: -inn (m), -in (f), -ið (n) and their case forms

Learning Goal

Can form definite nouns using the suffixed article -inn/-in/-ið

Exam Skills:VISC-A1

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Hundurinn er stór.

The dog is big.

Konan er læknir.

The woman is a doctor.

Barnið sefur.

The child is sleeping.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Íslenska hefur engan frístandandi greini eins og 'the' á ensku. Þess í stað skeytist greinirinn aftan á nafnorðið:

Kyn	Óákveðið	Ákveðið (+ greinir)	Merking
Karlkyn	hestur	hesturinn	the horse
Kvenkyn	kona	konan	the woman
Hvorugkyn	barn	barnið	the child

Nánari myndir:

Kyn	Nefnifall	Þolfall
Karlkyn	hesturinn	hestinn
Kvenkyn	konan	konuna
Hvorugkyn	barnið	barnið

Athugið: Kvenkynsorð nota -n eða -in eftir samhljóðahópi. Ávallt fer greinirinn á eftir nafnorðinu: húsið (the house), EKKI *ið hús.

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Trying to put the article before the noun (*ið hús) instead of after (húsið). Forgetting gender agreement. 🇬🇧 English speakers: 'the house' → húsið. Suffixed articles feel backwards — practice appending, not prepending.

Hundurinn er stór.

The dog is big.

Hundur + inn = hundurinn (the dog). The -inn suffix marks masculine definite nominative.

Konan er læknir.

The woman is a doctor.

Kona + n = konan (the woman). Feminine nouns ending in -a take just -n.

Barnið sefur.

The child is sleeping.

Barn + ið = barnið (the child). Neuter nouns take -ið. Same form for nominative and accusative.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course

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Put it into practice

Try a free exercise from the course

Frequently asked questions

When is Viðskeyttur greinir (-inn/-in/-ið) used?: Íslenska hefur engan frístandandi greini eins og 'the' á ensku. Þess í stað skeytist greinirinn aftan á nafnorðið :
How is Viðskeyttur greinir (-inn/-in/-ið) formed?: Athugið: Kvenkynsorð nota -n eða -in eftir samhljóðahópi. Ávallt fer greinirinn á eftir nafnorðinu: húsið (the house), EKKI *ið hús.
What are common mistakes with Viðskeyttur greinir (-inn/-in/-ið)?: Trying to put the article before the noun (*ið hús) instead of after (húsið). Forgetting gender agreement. 🇬🇧 English speakers: 'the house' → húsið. Suffixed articles feel backwards — practice appending, not prepending. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: No articles in Russian — the concept is new. Think of it as a word ending that signals specificity. 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: No articles in Czech either — same challenge as Russian. The suffix system is unique. 🇩🇪 German speakers: German der/die/das stands alone. Icelandic glues it on: der Hund → hundurinn. Requires mental shift.

Kyn

Óákveðið

Ákveðið (+ greinir)

Merking

Karlkyn

hestur

hesturinn

the horse

Kvenkyn

kona

konan

the woman

Hvorugkyn

barn

barnið

the child

Kyn

Nefnifall

Þolfall

Karlkyn

hesturinn

hestinn

Kvenkyn

konan

konuna

Hvorugkyn

barnið

Frequently asked questions

When is Viðskeyttur greinir (-inn/-in/-ið) used?

Íslenska hefur engan frístandandi greini eins og 'the' á ensku. Þess í stað skeytist greinirinn aftan á nafnorðið :

How is Viðskeyttur greinir (-inn/-in/-ið) formed?

Athugið: Kvenkynsorð nota -n eða -in eftir samhljóðahópi. Ávallt fer greinirinn á eftir nafnorðinu: húsið (the house), EKKI *ið hús.

What are common mistakes with Viðskeyttur greinir (-inn/-in/-ið)?

Trying to put the article before the noun (*ið hús) instead of after (húsið). Forgetting gender agreement. 🇬🇧 English speakers: 'the house' → húsið. Suffixed articles feel backwards — practice appending, not prepending. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: No articles in Russian — the concept is new. Think of it as a word ending that signals specificity. 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: No articles in Czech either — same challenge as Russian. The suffix system is unique. 🇩🇪 German speakers: German der/die/das stands alone. Icelandic glues it on: der Hund → hundurinn. Requires mental shift.