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Questions & Answers about Tegundin er góð.
What does the -in ending in tegundin signify?
It’s the definite article attached to the noun. In Icelandic you don’t say the tegund with a separate word—you add -in to tegund (a feminine noun) to get tegundin (‘the species’ or ‘the type’).
How can I tell that tegundin is feminine?
Many nouns ending in -nd (like tegund) are feminine. You’ll learn each noun’s gender along with its meaning. The gender then determines how articles and adjectives agree with it.
Why is the adjective góð not something like góðan or góða?
Because góð here is a predicative adjective (it comes after the linking verb er). Predicative adjectives use the strong (unmarked) declension and agree in gender, number, and case with the subject. Since tegundin is feminine singular nominative, the correct form is góð.
Why is the verb er used here, and how would it change for a plural subject?
Er is the third-person singular of að vera (‘to be’). If you had a plural subject (e.g. tegundirnar ‘the species (pl.)’), you would use eru:
• Tegundirnar eru góðar.
How do you form the plural of both the noun and the adjective in this sentence?
- Noun: tegund → plural tegundir, definite tegundirnar
- Adjective: góð (fem. sg.) → plural góðar (fem. pl.)
- Verb: er (3 sg.) → eru (3 pl.)
Putting it together: Tegundirnar eru góðar.
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