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Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Þetta er algengt meðal barna. - This is common among children.

Hardcore Icelandic
/Sorting household waste at a recycling site
/Þetta er algengt meðal barna.

Þetta er algengt meðal barna.

Word

Þetta er algengt meðal barna.

Meaning

This is common among children.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Icelandic

Lesson

Sorting household waste at a recycling site

Breakdown of Þetta er algengt meðal barna.

Questions & Answers about Þetta er algengt meðal barna.

What does each word in Þetta er algengt meðal barna do?

A word-by-word breakdown:

Þetta = this. Here it is the subject of the sentence.
er = is, the present tense of vera (to be).
algengt = common. This is an adjective describing þetta.
meðal = among.
barna = children, in the genitive plural form.

So the structure is:

Þetta + er + algengt + meðal barna
This + is + common + among children

Why is it þetta and not þessi?

Þetta is one form of the demonstrative þessi (this).

Icelandic demonstratives change for gender, number, and case. Here, the word stands on its own, without a noun after it, and it is in the neuter singular form:

masculine: þessi
feminine: þessi
neuter: þetta

So þetta is the correct form when you mean this in a general or abstract sense, like this thing / this situation / this behavior.

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Why is the adjective algengt and not algengur or algeng?

Because Icelandic adjectives agree with the word they describe.

Here, algengt is a predicate adjective after er, and it agrees with þetta, which is neuter singular.

The adjective algengur (common) has different forms:

masculine singular: algengur
feminine singular: algeng
neuter singular: algengt

Since þetta is neuter singular, the adjective must also be neuter singular: algengt.

Why is it barna instead of börn?

Because the preposition meðal takes the genitive case.

The noun barn (child) changes like this in the plural:

nominative plural: börn
genitive plural: barna

So:

börn = children as a subject or basic dictionary-style plural
barna = of children / used after certain words and prepositions

Since meðal requires the genitive, you get meðal barna.

Does barna mean children's here?

Not really in the normal English possessive sense.

Even though barna is a genitive form, Icelandic uses the genitive for more than possession. After meðal, it simply means among children.

So in this sentence, barna does not mean something like the children's in a possessive way. It is just the form required by the preposition.

What case does meðal take?

Meðal takes the genitive.

That is why you say:

meðal barna = among children
meðal nemenda = among students
meðal vina = among friends

This is something you mostly just have to learn with the preposition: meðal + genitive.

Why is there no word for the before children?

Because barna here means children in general, not the children.

So:

meðal barna = among children, among children in general
meðal barnanna = among the children

The ending -anna adds the definite article in the genitive plural.

So if you mean children as a group in general, barna is exactly right.

Can þetta refer to an action, situation, or behavior rather than a physical object?

Yes, very often.

In Icelandic, þetta can point to:

a thing
an event
a situation
a habit
a behavior
something just mentioned in conversation

So Þetta er algengt meðal barna can mean:

This is common among children
This kind of thing is common among children
This behavior is common among children

It does not have to refer to a concrete object.

How do you pronounce þetta?

The hardest part for many English speakers is þ.

þ is like the th in thing
e is like e in bet
the double tt is not just a simple English t; in Icelandic it is often pronounced with a little breath before it, so it can sound a bit like thEH-hta or THET-ta to English ears

A rough learner-friendly pronunciation is:

THET-ta

That is only approximate, but it is a useful starting point.

Is the word order fixed, or can it change?

The sentence as given is the most neutral order:

Þetta er algengt meðal barna.

But Icelandic can move parts of the sentence for emphasis. For example:

Meðal barna er þetta algengt.

That puts more focus on among children.

However, Icelandic still follows its usual verb-second pattern, so if you move meðal barna to the front, the verb er still comes next.

Is meðal the normal way to say among?

Yes. Meðal is a standard way to say among.

In many contexts it is a very natural choice, especially when talking about a group in a general sense, like:

meðal barna = among children
meðal fullorðinna = among adults

You may also see á meðal, which can also mean among. But in a sentence like this, meðal barna is completely normal and correct.

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