þessi

This and These in All Cases (Þessi)

Level 2

þessi means this or these. It takes the gender, number and case of its noun: Ég vil þennan bíl (I want this car).

How It Works

Singular forms. Read each line as nominative, accusative, dative, genitive (see the four cases):

  • Masculine: þessi, þennan, þessum, þessa
  • Feminine: þessi, þessa, þessari, þessarar
  • Neuter: þetta, þetta, þessu, þessa

Plural forms.

  • Masculine: þessir, þessa, þessum, þessara
  • Feminine: þessar, þessar, þessum, þessara
  • Neuter: þessi, þessi, þessum, þessara

Notice that þessi appears in several places: the masculine and feminine singular nominative, and the neuter plural nominative and accusative. The dative plural is always þessum.

How to pick the form. First find the noun's gender. Then ask what job it does. A direct object is accusative: Ég vil þennan bíl. After a place preposition such as í or á, a location is dative: Ég bý í þessu húsi.

No article after þessi. In standard Icelandic the noun keeps its plain form: þessi bíll, not þessi bíllinn. You may hear the article added in casual speech, but write the plain noun. An adjective in between takes the weak form: þessi stóri bíll.

Standing alone. þessi can replace the noun when you point at something. It still takes the noun's gender: Ég ætla að fá þennan (I'll have this one), when pointing at a masculine noun such as bolur (a T-shirt).

þetta er. To introduce something, Icelandic uses the fixed neuter Þetta er for any gender: Þetta er bókin mín. See þetta er. For "that", everyday speech often says þessi ... þarna (þessi bíll þarna); sá/sú/það is more formal.

Examples (6)

  1. Ég vil þennan bíl.

    I want this car.

    Word by Word: I want this car.

    bíll is masculine and is the object here, so þessi becomes accusative þennan.

  2. Þessi kona býr í Hafnarfirði.

    This woman lives in Hafnarfjörður.

    Word by Word: This woman lives in Hafnarfjörður.

  3. Ég bý í þessu húsi.

    I live in this house.

    Word by Word: I live in this house.

    hús is neuter. A location after í is dative, so þetta becomes þessu.

  4. Hver á þessa tösku?

    Whose bag is this?

    Word by Word: Who owns this bag?

    taska is feminine. Here á is a form of eiga (to own), and its object is accusative: þessa tösku.

  5. Þessar bækur eru mjög góðar.

    These books are very good.

    Word by Word: These books are very good.

  6. Ég ætla að fá þennan.

    I'll have this one.

    Word by Word: I intend to get this-one.

    Said pointing at a masculine noun, for example bolur (a T-shirt).

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the nominative þessi for a masculine object.

    Ég vil þessi bíl.
    Ég vil þennan bíl.

    The object of vilja is accusative. For a masculine noun the accusative is þennan.

  • Using neuter þetta with a masculine or feminine noun.

    Þetta bók er góð.
    Þessi bók er góð.

    bók is feminine, so the form is þessi. Only the fixed phrase Þetta er ... works for every gender: Þetta er góð bók.

  • Forgetting the dative after a place preposition.

    Ég bý í þetta hús.
    Ég bý í þessu húsi.

    búa í describes a location, which takes the dative. Both þessi and the noun change: þessu húsi.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

þessiLevel 2This and These in All Cases (Þessi)

Learn This First

þessi builds on þetta er and the four cases.

Words in This Pattern

þessiþessiþettaþennanþessaþessuþessumþessirþessarþessaraþessariþessarar