hinn / hin / hitt
The Other One (Hinn)
Hitt húsið er stærra. (The other house is bigger.) hinn points to the other one of two.
How It Works
The forms. They decline almost like einn:
- Masculine: hinn, hinn, hinum, hins; plural hinir, hina, hinum, hinna
- Feminine: hin, hina, hinni, hinnar; plural hinar, hinar, hinum, hinna
- Neuter: hitt, hitt, hinu, hins; plural hin, hin, hinum, hinna
With a noun. The noun keeps the attached article: Við bíðum í hinu herberginu. (We're waiting in the other room.)
On its own. hinn can stand alone when the noun is clear: Ekki þessi bók, hin! Hvar eru hinir? (Where are the others?)
annar and hinn. annar means another or some other, and in a pair it can mean one of the two. hinn means the specific other one. They often work as a pair: Annar skórinn er hér, en hvar er hinn? (One shoe is here, but where is the other?) To compare two, see also hvor.
hitt, not hið. The neuter "the other" is hitt. hið belongs to the formal separate article (hinn + adjective): Hið íslenska bókmenntafélag.
Fixed phrases. hinum megin við (on the other side of), hitt og þetta (this and that).
Examples (6)
- Ekki þessi bók, hin!
Not this book, the other one!
Word by Word: Not this book, the-other!
- Hitt húsið er stærra.
The other house is bigger.
Word by Word: The-other the-house is bigger.
- Við bíðum í hinu herberginu.
We're waiting in the other room.
Word by Word: We wait in the-other the-room.
hinu herberginu is dative after í.
- Hvar eru hinir?
Where are the others?
Word by Word: Where are the-others?
- Annar skórinn er hér, en hvar er hinn?
One shoe is here, but where is the other one?
Word by Word: One-of-two the-shoe is here, but where is the-other?
- Hún býr hinum megin við götuna.
She lives on the other side of the street.
Word by Word: She lives the-other side by the street.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out the attached article.
Hitt hús er stærra.Hitt húsið er stærra.A noun after hinn keeps the attached article: hitt húsið.
Using hið for "the other".
Hið húsið er stærra.Hitt húsið er stærra.hið is the formal separate article. The neuter of hinn meaning "the other" is hitt.
Using annar to mean "the other one" of a pair.
Annar skórinn er hér, en hvar er annar?Annar skórinn er hér, en hvar er hinn?The speaker means the second shoe of the pair. Here annar would mean another, some other shoe. The specific other one of a pair is hinn.
How It Connects
Learn This First
hinn builds on annar and sá.
Related Patterns
- þessiThis and These in All Cases (Þessi)
þessi and hinn often contrast: þessi bók, hin bókin.
Level 2 - The Separate Article (hinn, hin, hið)
The formal separate article, which uses hið instead of hitt.
Level 6 - hvorWhich of Two (Hvor)
Asks which of two: Hvor bíllinn er þinn?
Level 4 - hvor annarEach Other (Hvor Annar)
Each other, another phrase for two people or groups.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice hinn / hin / hitt in Bubblegum
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