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Questions & Answers about Svarið þitt er skýrt.
Why does svar take the ending -ið here?
In Icelandic, the definite article is a suffix rather than a separate word. svar (answer) is a neuter noun, and to make it definite (“the answer”) you add -ið, giving svarið. So svarið means “the answer.”
Why does þitt come after the noun instead of before it?
When a noun is in its definite form (here svarið), the possessive pronoun follows the noun. So you get svarið þitt (“your answer”). If the noun were indefinite, you’d place the possessive before: þitt svar.
What case, gender, and number is þitt here?
þitt is the nominative, neuter, singular form of the 2nd-person possessive pronoun. It matches svar in gender (neuter), number (singular), and case (nominative) because er is a copula linking two nominative elements.
Why does the adjective skýrt end in -t?
Adjectives in Icelandic agree with the noun’s gender, number, and case. Since svar is neuter singular nominative, skýrt takes the neuter singular ending -t. If you had a masculine noun, you’d see skýrt → skýr (masculine) or feminine skýr → skýr (same spelling as masculine in nominative).
How do you pronounce the letters ð in svarið and þ in þitt?
- ð (called eð) is a voiced “th,” like the th in English this.
- þ (called þorn) is an unvoiced “th,” like the th in think.
So svarið sounds roughly like “SVAH-rith” (with a soft th), and þitt like “thitt” (hard th).
Could I also say þitt svar er skýrt? What’s the difference in word order?
Yes, þitt svar er skýrt is equally correct. Putting the possessive before the noun is more common in neutral statements. svarið þitt er skýrt puts extra emphasis on “the answer” itself, almost as if you’re contrasting it with something else.
Can I drop þitt and just say svarið er skýrt?
Absolutely. svarið er skýrt means “the answer is clear.” You lose the personal “your,” so it’s a general statement about an answer rather than specifically “your answer.”
How would I say “my answer is clear” or change the tense?
- “My answer is clear” → svarið mitt er skýrt or mitt svar er skýrt.
- To put it in the past tense (your answer was clear): svarið þitt var skýrt (using var, past of er).