Örmerkið er lítið.

In Icelandic, the is often attached to the end of the noun instead of standing as a separate word.

So:

• örmerki = indefinite form
• örmerkið = the
  • noun

This is very common in Icelandic.

Örmerki is a neuter noun.

You can see that in this sentence because:

• the definite noun ends in -ið, a common neuter definite ending
• the adjective appears as lítið, which is the neuter singular form

In dictionaries, you will usually see the gender marked, often as n.

Because Icelandic adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and usually case.

The adjective lítill has these singular nominative forms:

• masculine: lítill
• feminine: lítil
• neuter: lítið

Since örmerkið is neuter singular, the adjective must be lítið.

No. The dictionary form is usually lítill, which is the masculine singular nominative form.

So:

• dictionary form: lítill
• form used here: lítið because the noun is neuter singular

This is normal in Icelandic: adjectives are usually listed in the masculine form, even though they change a lot.

Because this adjective is being used predicatively, not attributively.

In Örmerkið er lítið, the structure is:

• subject: örmerkið
• verb: er
• predicate adjective: lítið

After vera (to be), Icelandic normally uses the strong adjective form, so lítið is correct.

Compare:

• Örmerkið er lítið. = the noun is small
• litla örmerkið = the small noun

So the form changes depending on whether the adjective is part of a noun phrase or comes after er.

Er is the present tense, 3rd person singular form of vera, the verb to be.

So here it means is.

Examples:

• ég er = I am
• þú ert = you are
• hann / hún / það er = he / she / it is

Örmerkið is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Lítið is also in the nominative, because predicate adjectives after vera agree with the subject.

So in this sentence, both the subject and the adjective are nominative singular neuter.

Because here lítið is not directly modifying the noun inside a noun phrase. It is part of the sentence pattern:

subject + verb + predicate adjective

So:

• Örmerkið er lítið. = the noun is small

If you put the adjective before the noun, you get a different structure:

• lítið örmerki = a small noun
• litla örmerkið = the small noun

So the position changes the grammar and the meaning structure.

You would usually say:

Örmerki er lítið.

Icelandic does not have a separate indefinite article like English a/an, so the bare noun can often correspond to a or just an indefinite noun in English.

So the contrast is:

• örmerki = indefinite
• örmerkið = definite

A few useful pronunciation points:

• ö is a rounded vowel not found exactly in English; a rough approximation is something like the vowel in bird for some speakers, but with rounded lips
• í is like ee in see
• ð is like the th in this
• Icelandic usually stresses the first syllable of a word

So the main stress is on:

• ÖRmerkið
• LÍtið

That first-syllable stress is very important in Icelandic.