Questions & Answers about Fiskurinn er á borðinu.
Why does fiskur become fiskurinn?
Because Icelandic usually marks definiteness (meaning the) by attaching the definite article to the end of the noun.
- fiskur = a fish / fish (indefinite)
- fiskurinn = the fish (definite)
The ending -inn is the masculine singular definite article in the nominative case (with some spelling adjustments depending on the noun).
How do I know fiskur is masculine, and does that matter here?
Yes, it matters because gender affects endings for articles and cases. Fiskur is masculine, which is why the definite form is fiskur + inn → fiskurinn.
If it were feminine or neuter, the definite endings would be different (e.g., feminine often -in, neuter often -ið).
Why is it er and not something else?
Er is the present tense, 3rd person singular form of the verb að vera (to be).
Since the subject is singular (fiskurinn), Icelandic uses er:
- ég er (I am)
- þú ert (you are)
- hann/hún/það er (he/she/it is)
- fiskurinn er (the fish is)
What case is fiskurinn in?