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Bókasafnið er opið og hlýtt.

Bókasafnið er opið og hlýtt.
The library is open and warm.
FromLesson 6inHardcore Icelandic
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Breakdown of Bókasafnið er opið og hlýtt.

vera
to be
opinn
open
og
and
bókasafnið
the library
hlýr
warm

Questions & Answers about Bókasafnið er opið og hlýtt.

Why is the definite article attached to bókasafnið instead of a separate word like the?

In Icelandic, the definite article is not a separate word but a suffix added to the noun.

  • bókasafn = “library” (indefinite)
  • -ið = definite article for neuter singular
    So bókasafnið literally means “the library.”
What gender is bókasafn, and how can I tell?
Bókasafn is a neuter noun. You can often tell gender: many nouns ending in -n from a base ending in a consonant (like safn) are neuter. Also, the definite singular ending -ið signals neuter gender; masculine would be -inn and feminine -in(n).
What case is bókasafnið in?
It’s in the nominative case because it functions as the subject of the sentence (it “does” the being-open-and-warm).
Why are opið and hlýtt ending in -t, and why don’t they appear in their dictionary forms opinn and hlýr?

Adjectives in Icelandic agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. In this sentence:

  • Our noun is neuter, singular, nominative.
  • The neuter nominative singular ending for adjectives is -t.
    Dictionary (lemma) forms are given in masculine nominative singular (opinn, hlýr), but when describing a neuter subject you drop the masculine ending and add -t, giving opið and hlýtt.
Why do the adjectives come after the verb er instead of before the noun (like “open and warm library”)?

When you use a linking verb such as er (“is”), the adjectives are in predicative position and follow the verb:
Bókasafnið er opið og hlýtt.
If you wanted to place them before the noun, you’d be using them attributively, e.g. opin bókasafn (“an open library”), which requires a different adjective form.

Can I swap the order of opið and hlýtt? Would it change the meaning?

Yes—coordinate adjectives linked by og are freely ordered.
• Bókasafnið er hlýtt og opið.
means exactly the same as
• Bókasafnið er opið og hlýtt.

Why is og used here instead of en (but)?
Og is the simple conjunction for “and,” adding one adjective to the next. En would introduce a contrast (like “but”), which isn’t intended here.
How do I pronounce bókasafnið, opið, and hlýtt?

Approximate pronunciations:
• bókasafnið – BOH-ka-SAHV-nith (ð like English “th” in “this”)
• opið – OH-pith (same “th”)
• hlýtt – HLEE-t (hl = a voiceless “l,” ý = “ee,” tt = a crisp “t”)

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