Hálsólin er rauð.

to be

Breakdown of Hálsólin er rauð.

• rauður: red
• hálsólin: the collar

Questions & Answers about Hálsólin er rauð.

Why is hálsólin written as one word?

Because Icelandic very often forms compound nouns by joining words together instead of keeping them separate. So what might be expressed with two words in English is often a single word in Icelandic.

This is extremely common, and learning to recognize compounds is an important skill in Icelandic.

Why does hálsólin end in -in?

The ending -in is the definite article, meaning the.

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

So:

• hálsól = an/indefinite form
• hálsólin = the ... / the definite form

English uses a separate word, but Icelandic usually adds the article to the end of the noun.

What is er?

Er is the present tense of the verb vera, which means to be.

So here:

• er = is

This is one of the most common verbs in Icelandic, and it is irregular, so it is worth memorizing early.

Why is the adjective rauð and not rauður or rautt?