Raunin var erfið.

to be

Breakdown of Raunin var erfið.

• erfiður: difficult
• raunin: the reality; ordeal

Questions & Answers about Raunin var erfið.

What is raunin grammatically?

Raunin is the singular definite nominative form of the feminine noun raun.

Breaking it down:

• raun = the noun stem
• -in = the suffixed definite article, so the

So raunin means the raun in grammatical form. In Icelandic, the definite article is often attached to the end of the noun instead of appearing as a separate word like English the.

Why does raunin end in -in?

Because Icelandic usually adds the as an ending on the noun.

For a feminine noun like raun, the nominative singular definite form is raunin.

Compare the pattern:

• raun = an/the reality, experience, trial (indefinite dictionary form)
• raunin = the reality / the experience / the trial

So the ending -in is not random; it marks definiteness.

Why is it erfið and not erfiður or erfitt?