Farmrýmið er tómt.

Because Icelandic usually puts the definite article onto the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.

• farmrými = cargo space / luggage compartment / storage area
• farmrýmið = the cargo space

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

It is a compound noun:

• farm- = related to cargo, load, luggage
• rými = space, room, compartment

So farmrými literally means something like cargo-space or storage compartment.

A very useful Icelandic rule is that in compound nouns, the last part usually determines the grammatical gender. Since rými is neuter, farmrými is neuter too.

It is neuter singular.

That matters because adjectives in Icelandic must agree with the noun in:

• gender
• number
• often case

So the adjective has to match farmrýmið, and that is why you get tómt.

Because tómt is the neuter singular form of the adjective tómur (empty).

The basic forms are:

• tómur = masculine
• tóm = feminine
• tómt = neuter

Since farmrýmið is neuter singular, the matching form is tómt.

This is a very common question.

Even though farmrýmið means the cargo space, the adjective here is a predicate adjective because it comes after er (is):

• Farmrýmið er tómt. = The cargo space is empty.

Predicate adjectives normally use the strong form in Icelandic, not the weak attributive form.

Compare:

• hið tóma farmrými / tóma farmrýmið = the empty cargo space
  
  • adjective is directly attached to the noun
• Farmrýmið er tómt. = The cargo space is empty.
  
  • adjective comes after er, so it is predicate and appears as tómt

Er is the present tense of vera (to be).

In this sentence, it means is.

So:

• vera = to be
• er = is / am / are depending on context

Here it is specifically is because the subject is singular.

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

In a sentence like this:

• Farmrýmið = subject
• er = verb
• tómt = predicate adjective

The adjective also matches in case, so tómt is nominative as well.

No, this is a very straightforward sentence.

It follows the pattern:

• Subject + verb + adjective/complement

So:

• Farmrýmið = subject
• er = verb
• tómt = complement

That is very similar to English: The cargo space is empty.

Yes, but the meaning changes.

• Farmrýmið er tómt. = The cargo space is empty.
  You mean a specific, known cargo space.
• Farmrými er tómt. = A cargo space is empty / Cargo space is empty.
  This is more indefinite or generic, and often less natural unless the context really calls for it.

In most everyday situations, if you are talking about a particular vehicle or compartment, farmrýmið is the natural choice.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

FARM-ree-mith er tohmt

A few pronunciation notes:

• Stress is usually on the first syllable: FARM-...
• ý sounds like ee
• ð is like the th in this
• tómt has a long ó, roughly like oh

So rýmið sounds roughly like REE-mith.

No. If the adjective comes directly before the noun, the form changes.

Compare:

• Farmrýmið er tómt. = The cargo space is empty.
• tóma farmrýmið = the empty cargo space

So Icelandic makes a difference between:

1. predicate adjective

   • after er
   • tómt

2. attributive adjective

   • directly before the noun
   • tóma here

That is an important pattern to notice in Icelandic grammar.