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Questions & Answers about Kaffið er kalt.
What does the suffix -ið in kaffið indicate?
The suffix -ið is the definite article for neuter nouns. So kaffið means the coffee, not just “coffee.”
What is the base (indefinite) form of kaffið?
The base form is kaffi, which simply means “coffee” (no “the”).
How do you say “a coffee” in Icelandic?
Icelandic doesn’t have a separate indefinite article. You can say kaffi for coffee in general, or use the numeral eitt for “one”: eitt kaffi (“a coffee”).
Why does kalt end with -t and not -ur or -a?
Adjectives agree in gender (and case/number) with the noun they modify. The full adjective is kaldur (masculine), köld (feminine), kalt (neuter). Since kaffi is neuter, you use kalt.
What is the grammatical gender of kaffi?
Kaffi is a neuter noun in Icelandic.
How would I ask “Is the coffee cold?” in Icelandic?
Move the verb to the front for a yes/no question:
Er kaffið kalt?
Where do I place ekki to say “The coffee is not cold”?
Put ekki right after the verb:
Kaffið er ekki kalt.
And as a question: Er kaffið ekki kalt?
How is Kaffið er kalt pronounced?
Approximate IPA: [ˈkʰafːɪð ɛr kʰalt]
– ff is a long “f”
– ð is like the “th” in this
– r is trilled or tapped
So it sounds roughly like “KAFF-ith air kalt.”
Why doesn’t Icelandic use a separate word for “the” like English?
Instead of a separate article, Icelandic attaches definiteness as a suffix to the noun (e.g. -inn, -ið, -in). Hence kaffi → kaffið for “the coffee.”
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