Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Kakan er góð.

Unlike English, Icelandic tacks its definite article onto the end of the noun as a suffix. You say kaka for “a cake” or “cake” in general, and kakan for “the cake.”

How would I say “a cake is good”?

Simply drop the suffix: Kaka er góð. That reads as “a cake is good” or “cake is good.”

Why is góð placed after er instead of before kakan?

Here góð is a predicative adjective (it describes the subject via the linking verb er). Predicative adjectives in Icelandic come after the verb, whereas attributive adjectives (directly modifying a noun) go before it.

Why is the adjective góð not inflected as góður or góða?

Predicative adjectives use the indefinite nominative singular form and only agree in gender and number. Since kaka is feminine, you use the feminine nominative form góð. (Masculine would be góður, neuter gott.)

What is er in this sentence?

Er is the third‐person singular present tense of að vera (“to be”), so kakan er góð literally means “the cake is good.”

How do I pronounce kakan er góð?

Roughly:
• kakan = “KAH-kahn” (stress on the first syllable)
• er = like the English “air” but shorter
• góð = “gohth,” with ó a long “o” sound and ð like the “th” in “this.”

What is the letter ð, and how is it different from þ?

Ð (called eth) is the voiced “th” sound as in “this.” Þ (called thorn) is the voiceless “th” sound as in “thing.”

How do I make the sentence negative?

Insert ekki (“not”) after the verb: Kakan er ekki góð. (“The cake is not good.”)

How do I ask “Is the cake good?”

Invert verb and subject: Er kakan góð?

If I use a masculine noun instead of kaka, what changes?

Take bíll (“car”), which is masculine:
• Definite form: bíllinn (“the car”)
• Adjective: use masculine nominative góður
→ Bíllinn er góður.