Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Dagurinn var góður í gær.

It translates to "The day was good yesterday." The word dagurinn means "the day" (with the definite article attached), var is the past tense of vera (to be), góður means "good," and í gær means "yesterday."

How is the definite article expressed in dagurinn compared to the form dagur?

In Icelandic, instead of using a separate word for the definite article (like "the" in English), a suffix is attached to the noun. The noun dagur (day) becomes dagurinn when the definite suffix -inn is added, meaning "the day."

Why does the adjective góður appear without a definitive ending even though it describes a definite noun?

When used in a predicate position (after the linking verb var), adjectives in Icelandic generally appear in their base form. Unlike attributive adjectives that directly modify a noun and agree in definiteness, predicate adjectives like góður remain uninflected, even if the subject is definite.

What is the function of the verb var in the sentence?

Var is the past tense form of the verb vera (to be). It serves as a linking verb that connects the subject dagurinn with the predicate adjective góður, and it marks the sentence as being in the past.

What does the phrase í gær mean and how is it used?

The phrase í gær means "yesterday." Here, í is a preposition meaning "in," and it works with gær to form a temporal adverbial phrase that tells us when the day was good.

How does the word order in this Icelandic sentence compare to the English sentence “The day was good yesterday”?

Both sentences follow a similar order. In Icelandic, dagurinn (the subject) comes first, followed by var (the verb), then góður (the predicate adjective), and finally í gær (the adverbial phrase). This is comparable to the English structure: Subject ("The day") + Verb ("was") + Predicate ("good") + Adverb ("yesterday").