Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Diskarnir eru skítugir eftir kvöldmat.

Diskarnir is the definite plural form of the noun diskur (meaning “dish”). In Icelandic, definite articles aren’t separate words but are added to the noun as suffixes. Here, the ending -arnir tells you that the noun is both definite (“the dishes”) and plural.

How does the adjective skítugir agree with diskarnir in this sentence?

The adjective skítugir is in the masculine plural nominative form, matching diskarnir in gender, number, and definiteness. Icelandic adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify, so since diskarnir is a masculine, plural, definite noun, the adjective takes the -ir ending accordingly.

What is the function of the verb eru in this sentence?

Eru is the present tense form of the verb vera (meaning “to be”). It serves as a linking verb that connects the subject diskarnir (the dishes) with the predicate adjective skítugir (dirty), forming a complete statement about the state of the dishes.

What role does the preposition eftir play, and what case does it govern in this context?

The preposition eftir means “after” and is used here to indicate a time relation, specifying that the dishes became dirty after dinner. In Icelandic, eftir generally takes the accusative case. For the neuter noun kvöldmat (‘dinner’), the accusative form is identical to the nominative, which is why no additional change is seen in the word form.

Why does kvöldmat appear without a definite article, unlike diskarnir?

In this sentence, kvöldmat is used to refer to dinner in a general sense rather than a specific dinner, so it remains in the indefinite form. Unlike diskarnir, which refers to specific dishes that have been identified by the context, kvöldmat doesn’t take a definite article because the phrase “after dinner” is understood generally in Icelandic.