Dekkið sprakk á veginum.

The tire burst on the road.

Breakdown of Dekkið sprakk á veginum.

• á: on
• vegurinn: the road
• dekkið: the tire
• springa: to burst; explode

Questions & Answers about Dekkið sprakk á veginum.

Why is it dekkið and not just dekk?

Dekkið is the definite form of dekk, meaning the tire rather than a tire.

• dekk = a tire / tire
• dekkið = the tire

The ending -ið is the definite article for a neuter singular noun in this form.

What gender is dekk?

Dekk is a neuter noun.

That matters because Icelandic nouns change form depending on:

• gender
• number
• case
• whether they are definite or indefinite

So here:

• dekk = neuter singular indefinite
• dekkið = neuter singular definite

What form is sprakk?

Sprakk is the past tense of the verb springa.

So:

• springa = to burst, to explode, to blow out
• sprakk = burst / blew out

It is a strong verb, so the vowel changes instead of just adding a regular ending.

A few useful forms:

• springa = infinitive
• sprengur = present tense, bursts
• sprakk = past tense, burst
• sprungið = past participle