Vaxtagjöldin eru há.

The interest expenses are high.

Breakdown of Vaxtagjöldin eru há.

• vera: to be
• hár: high
• vaxtagjöldin: the interest expenses

Questions & Answers about Vaxtagjöldin eru há.

Why is vaxtagjöldin written as one word?

Because Icelandic forms compound nouns very freely. Here vaxta- and gjöld combine into one noun, vaxtagjöld. Then the definite article is added to the end of the whole word, giving vaxtagjöldin. Writing it as one word is the normal Icelandic pattern.

Why does the first part look like vaxta- instead of vextir?

The word vextir changes form when it is used inside a compound. In vaxtagjöld, the first part comes from vaxta, a genitive plural form related to vextir. Icelandic often uses a genitive form in compounds, so the structure is roughly charges of interest.

What does the ending -in mean in vaxtagjöldin?

It is the definite article, attached to the noun as a suffix. So:

• vaxtagjöld = interest charges / interest expenses
• vaxtagjöldin = the interest charges / the interest expenses

This is very common in Icelandic: instead of a separate word like English the, Icelandic often adds the article to the end of the noun.

Is vaxtagjöldin singular or plural?