Áhuginn er mikill.

to be

Breakdown of Áhuginn er mikill.

• mikill: large
• áhuginn: the interest (curiosity)

Questions & Answers about Áhuginn er mikill.

What does áhuginn mean, and how is it built?

Áhuginn is made up of:

• áhugi = interest
• -inn = the (the suffixed definite article)

So áhuginn literally means the interest.

This is very common in Icelandic: instead of putting a separate word before the noun, Icelandic often adds the definite article to the end of the noun.

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Why does Icelandic use -inn instead of a separate word for the?

In Icelandic, the definite article is usually attached to the noun as a suffix.

So:

• áhugi = interest
• áhuginn = the interest

This is one of the biggest differences from English. English says the interest, but Icelandic usually says one word: áhuginn.

There is also a separate definite article in Icelandic, but the suffixed one is the normal choice in most everyday sentences.

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What is er?

Er means is.

It is the present-tense singular form of the verb vera, which means to be.

So:

• ég er = I am
• hann er = he is
• áhuginn er = the interest is

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Why is it mikill and not mikið or ?