Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Ljósið er sterkt.
Why does ljósið end with -ið?
In Icelandic the definite article (the word the) is not a separate word but a suffix attached to the noun. For neuter nouns in the nominative singular, that suffix is -ið. So ljós (“light”) becomes ljósið (“the light”).
What is the base (indefinite) form of ljósið?
The base or indefinite nominative singular form is ljós. Without the suffix it simply means “light” or “a light.”
Why is the adjective sterkt ending in -t instead of -ur (as in sterkur)?
Adjectives in Icelandic agree in gender, number and case with the noun they describe. Here ljós is a neuter noun in the nominative singular, so its predicate adjective also takes the neuter nominative singular ending -t: sterk- → sterkt.
The noun is definite (ljósið). Shouldn’t the adjective show a “weak” form?
Predicative adjectives (those that follow a verb like vera “to be”) use a simplified pattern: for neuter nominative singular they always end in -t, regardless of the noun’s definiteness. Weak vs. strong declension applies only when adjectives modify nouns directly (attributive use).
Which verb is , and why is it used here?