Flokkunarleiðbeiningarnar eru skýrar.

The sorting instructions are clear.

Breakdown of Flokkunarleiðbeiningarnar eru skýrar.

• vera: to be
• skýr: clear
• flokkunarleiðbeiningarnar: the sorting instructions

Questions & Answers about Flokkunarleiðbeiningarnar eru skýrar.

What does the long word flokkunarleiðbeiningarnar break down into?

It is a compound noun:

• flokkunar- = of classification / for classification
• leiðbeiningar = instructions, guidelines
• -nar = the definite article ending here, giving the

So flokkunarleiðbeiningarnar is literally something like the classification guidelines or the sorting instructions.

Icelandic makes compounds very freely, much more than English does, so long words like this are very normal.

Why is there no separate word for the?

Because Icelandic usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.

So:

• leiðbeiningar = guidelines / instructions
• leiðbeiningarnar = the guidelines / the instructions

In this sentence, that ending is attached to the whole compound noun, giving flokkunarleiðbeiningarnar.

Why is the first part flokkunar- and not just flokkun?