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Baðherbergið er blátt.

Baðherbergið er blátt.
The bathroom is blue.
FromLesson 8inHardcore Icelandic
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Breakdown of Baðherbergið er blátt.

vera
to be
baðherbergið
the bathroom
blátt
blue

Questions & Answers about Baðherbergið er blátt.

Why does Baðherbergið end in -ið instead of having a separate word for “the”?

In Icelandic the definite article is usually a suffix on the noun. Since baðherbergi (“bathroom”) is neuter, its definite singular ending is -ið.
So: baðherbergi + -ið = baðherbergið (“the bathroom”).

How can I tell that baðherbergið is neuter?

One clue is the noun ending -i, which often signals neuter gender. Another is the form of the definite article:
• Neuter takes -ið
• Masculine takes -inn
• Feminine takes -in(n) or -nin

Why does the adjective blátt end with -t?

Adjectives must agree with their noun in gender, number, and case. Here baðherbergið is neuter singular nominative, and in the strong (predicative) declension the neuter nominative ending is -t.
• Masculine: blár
• Neuter: blátt
• Feminine: blá

What’s the difference between the strong and weak forms of adjectives?

• Strong forms are used:
– Predicatively (after verbs like er)
– Attributively with indefinite nouns
• Weak forms are used attributively with definite nouns
In Baðherbergið er blátt, blátt is strong because it follows the linking verb er.

Could I ever say baðherbergið er bláa?
No. bláa is a weak form (used for definite attributive or feminine). For a predicative adjective describing a neuter noun, you must use the strong neuter nominative blátt.
Why is the verb er used here instead of eru?
Er is the 3rd person singular present of að vera (“to be”), matching the singular subject baðherbergið. If the subject were plural, you’d switch to eru.
How would I say “bathrooms are blue” in Icelandic?

Use the plural noun, plural verb, and the strong plural adjective:
Baðherbergin eru blá.
• baðherbergin = definite plural of baðherbergi
• eru = 3rd person plural of að vera
• blá = strong nominative neuter plural

How would I ask “Is the bathroom blue?” in Icelandic?

Invert verb and subject:
Er baðherbergið blátt?

How do you pronounce the letter ð in baðherbergið?
The letter ð (named eð) is a voiced “th” sound, like the “th” in this. So bað sounds roughly like “bawth” (with voiced th), and baðherbergið ≈ [ˈpaːðˌhɛr.kɛr.ɣɪð].

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