Questions & Answers about Þetta er algengt meðal barna.
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
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.