Tónlistin hljómar vel í morgun.

The music sounds good this morning.

Breakdown of Tónlistin hljómar vel í morgun.

• vel: well
• í: in
• morgun: the morning
• hljóma: to sound
• tónlistin: the music

Questions & Answers about Tónlistin hljómar vel í morgun.

What does the suffix -in in Tónlistin indicate, and why is it -in rather than -inn?

In Icelandic there is no separate word for “the.” Instead the definite article is added as a suffix.

• tónlist = “music” (indefinite)
• tónlistin = “the music” (definite)
  Because tónlist is a feminine noun, its definite singular ending is -in. Masculine nouns take -inn (e.g. bíll → bíllinn), and neuter nouns take -ið.

Why is vel used instead of góð to describe how the music sounds?

Vel is the adverbial form of góður (“good”). Verbs in Icelandic must be modified by adverbs, not adjectives. Since hljómar (“sounds”) is a verb, you need the adverb vel (“well”), not the adjective góð.

Why does this sentence use the present tense hljómar instead of a past tense, even though it refers to this morning?

Icelandic often uses the simple present for ongoing situations or general statements, just like English. Here hljómar = “(it) sounds.” If you want to place the action squarely in the past (e.g. “earlier this morning the music sounded good”), you would use the past tense: Tónlistin hljómaði vel í morgun.

What’s the difference between í morgun and á morgun?

• í morgun = this morning
• á morgun = tomorrow
  Many learners mix them up because English uses “tomorrow morning,” but in Icelandic á morgun by itself means “tomorrow.”

Why is the time expression í morgun placed at the end, and can I move it to the beginning?

Icelandic follows the V2 (verb-second) rule, so the finite verb must be in second position. In the original sentence the subject occupies first position:

1. Tónlistin (subject)
2. hljómar (verb)
3. vel (adverb)
4. í morgun (time)

You can start with í morgun, but then hljómar must remain second:
Í morgun hljómar tónlistin vel.

What case is morgun in í morgun, and why isn’t there an article?

This is a fixed time-expression using í + accusative. Here morgun is in the accusative, but you don’t add any extra article or ending beyond í morgun. It simply means “this morning.”

How do I pronounce hljómar, especially the hlj cluster?

In IPA it’s roughly /ˈtʰl̥jou.mar/:

• hl = a voiceless (aspirated) “l” sound, similar to Welsh “ll.”
• jó = like English “yo” in “yoga.”
  So “hljómar” sounds like “hl-yo-mar”, with a light “h” before the “l.”

Could I say Tónlistin er góð í morgun instead of Tónlistin hljómar vel í morgun?

Yes, Tónlistin er góð í morgun (“The music is good this morning”) is grammatically correct. However, to talk specifically about how something sounds, Icelandic speakers more often use hljómar vel. Using er góð is a more general quality statement, while hljómar vel directly conveys the auditory impression.