Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Baðherbergið var skítugt í gær.

Baðherbergið means “the bathroom”. It’s a compound word combining bað (“bath”) and herbergi (“room”). The definite article is not a separate word but attached as the suffix -ið to indicate that it is definite.

Why is the adjective in the sentence skítugt rather than another form?

The adjective skítugt is in its neuter form because baðherbergið is a neuter noun. In this predicative construction (after the past-tense copula var), the adjective agrees in gender and number with the subject, hence the neuter form skítugt.

What does the word var signify in this sentence?

Var is the past tense form of the verb vera (“to be”). It functions as the copula linking the subject (baðherbergið) with the predicate adjective (skítugt), thus meaning “was”.

How is time expressed in this sentence, and what does í gær mean?

The phrase í gær functions as an adverbial time expression and means “yesterday”. It tells us when the state described (the bathroom being dirty) occurred and is typically placed at the end of the sentence in Icelandic.

Why doesn’t Icelandic use a separate word for "the" before baðherbergið?

In Icelandic, definiteness is marked by adding a suffix to the noun rather than using a separate article. In baðherbergið, the suffix -ið is attached to herbergi, indicating that it is definite, which is why there isn’t an independent word for "the".