The Genitive (eignarfall)

Level 2

The genitive (eignarfall) shows an owner, placed after the thing owned: bíll Jóns (Jón's car).

How It Works

Owners. Icelandic puts the owner after the thing owned:

  • bíll Jóns (Jón's car)
  • höfuðborg Íslands (the capital of Iceland)
  • hús mannsins (the man's house)

The thing owned usually has no article in this pattern. In speech people often say bíllinn hans Jóns, with hans before the name; see hann Jón. The possessives hans, hennar, okkar, ykkar, þeirra are genitive pronouns; see hans/hennar/okkar/ykkar/þeirra.

Endings. Many masculine and neuter nouns add -s (Jóns, Íslands, mannsins). Many feminine nouns add -ar or -ur (bókar, Reykjavíkur). You will learn them noun by noun.

Prepositions. til (to), án (without) and vegna (because of) always take the genitive: til Reykjavíkur, án sykurs, vegna veðursins. See genitive prepositions.

Verbs. A few verbs take a genitive object, most commonly sakna (miss): Ég sakna þín. See genitive verbs. The genitive is also used in ages (ég er ... ára) and in many compound words (genitive in compounds).

Examples (6)

  1. Þetta er bíll Jóns.

    This is Jón's car.

    Word by Word: This is car Jón's.

  2. Reykjavík er höfuðborg Íslands.

    Reykjavík is the capital of Iceland.

    Word by Word: Reykjavík is capital Iceland's.

  3. Ég fer til Reykjavíkur á morgun.

    I am going to Reykjavík tomorrow.

    Word by Word: I go to Reykjavík's tomorrow.

    til takes the genitive: Reykjavík becomes Reykjavíkur.

  4. Kaffi án sykurs, takk.

    Coffee without sugar, please.

    Word by Word: Coffee without sugar's, thanks.

  5. Ég sakna þín.

    I miss you.

    Word by Word: I miss of-you.

    sakna takes a genitive object: þú becomes þín.

  6. Við komum ekki vegna veðursins.

    We aren't coming because of the weather.

    Word by Word: We come not because-of weather-the's.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the noun unchanged after til.

    Ég fer til Reykjavík.
    Ég fer til Reykjavíkur.

    til always takes the genitive, and the genitive of Reykjavík is Reykjavíkur.

  • Forgetting the genitive after án.

    Te án sykur, takk.
    Te án sykurs, takk.

    án (without) takes the genitive, so sykur becomes sykurs.

  • Using the accusative with sakna.

    Ég sakna þig.
    Ég sakna þín.

    sakna takes a genitive object. The genitive of þú is þín.

How It Connects

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The Genitive (eignarfall)Level 2

Learn This First

The genitive builds on the dative and til.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

tilánvegnasakna