Rispan er lítil.

Rispan is the noun rispa with the definite article attached.

• rispa = scratch
• rispan = the scratch

In Icelandic, the is often not a separate word like in English. Instead, it is added to the end of the noun as a suffix.

So:

• rispa = a scratch / scratch
• rispan = the scratch

Because the adjective has to agree with the noun.

The noun rispa is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative here

So the adjective must also be in the feminine singular nominative form:

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

Since rispan is feminine, lítil is the correct form.

Er means is. It is the present tense singular form of the verb vera (to be).

So the sentence is built like this:

• Rispan = the scratch
• er = is
• lítil = small

Together: The scratch is small.

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

In a basic sentence like this, the thing that is something usually appears in the nominative:

• Rispan = subject
• er lítil = what is being said about the subject

The adjective lítil also appears in the nominative because predicate adjectives in Icelandic normally agree with the subject.

Yes. This is the standard pattern:

• subject + verb + adjective/complement

So:

• Rispan = subject
• er = verb
• lítil = complement

This is very similar to English The scratch is small.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

• Rispan ≈ RIS-pan
• er ≈ ehr
• lítil ≈ LEE-til

A few helpful notes:

• The r in Icelandic is usually rolled or tapped.
• í is a long ee sound.
• Stress usually falls on the first syllable of Icelandic words, so:
  • RISpan
  • LItil

The dictionary forms are:

• rispa = scratch
• vera = to be
• lítill = small

The sentence uses changed forms:

• rispan from rispa
• er from vera
• lítil from lítill

This is very common in Icelandic, so learners usually need to get used to recognizing inflected forms.

Yes, but the meaning changes.

• Rispan er lítil = The scratch is small
• Rispa er lítil = A scratch is small or scratch is small, depending on context

In practice, the version without the definite ending may sound less natural unless the context clearly calls for an indefinite or more general meaning. In this sentence, rispan is the most natural way to say the scratch.

Because Icelandic often expresses the by attaching it to the noun instead of using a separate article.

Compare:

• English: the scratch
• Icelandic: rispan

This is one of the first big differences English speakers notice in Icelandic grammar.

Yes. In this sentence, lítil is a predicate adjective. That means it describes the subject after a linking verb like er (is).

Compare:

• Rispan er lítil. = The scratch is small.

If the adjective came directly before the noun, it would work differently:

• lítil rispa = a small scratch

So:

• lítil rispa = adjective directly modifying the noun
• Rispan er lítil = adjective describing the subject through to be

Yes, rispa is a feminine noun. That matters because adjectives, articles, and some other words must agree with it.

That is why you get:

• rispan for the scratch
• lítil for small in the feminine form

Learning the gender of each noun is important in Icelandic because it affects several other words in the sentence.