Dagurinn var góður í gær.

to be

Breakdown of Dagurinn var góður í gær.

• góður: good
• dagurinn: the day
• í gær: yesterday

Questions & Answers about Dagurinn var góður í gær.

What does the sentence Dagurinn var góður í gær mean?

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 , and it marks the sentence as being in the past.