Breakdown of Regnhlífin mín er stærri en jakkinn þinn.
vera
to be
þinn
your
en
than
regnhlífin
the umbrella
mín
my
stærri
bigger
jakkinn
the jacket
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Questions & Answers about Regnhlífin mín er stærri en jakkinn þinn.
Why does regnhlíf become regnhlífin when we say “my umbrella”?
In Icelandic, a noun modified by a possessive pronoun must take the definite form. The suffix -in makes regnhlíf (“umbrella”) definite, so regnhlífin mín literally means “the umbrella mine,” corresponding to “my umbrella.”
Why do we use mín instead of minn?
Possessive pronouns agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. Regnhlíf is a feminine noun in the nominative singular, so its matching pronoun is mín (feminine nominative), not minn (masculine).
Why doesn’t stærri (bigger) change to agree with the gender or number of regnhlífin?
Comparative adjectives in Icelandic are indeclinable—they have one form for all genders, numbers, and cases. So stærri remains the same whether you’re talking about a feminine, masculine, or neuter noun.
How is the comparative of stór (big) formed in Icelandic?
Stór is irregular. Instead of adding -ari, it becomes stærri. Many adjectives form comparatives by appending -ari (e.g., snjall → snjallari “smarter”), but stór → stærri is a common exception.
Why is en used here, and is it the same as enn?
In comparisons, en means “than.” It’s the standard conjunction (e.g., stærri en…). Enn (double n) is a different word meaning “still,” “yet,” or “again.”
Why is jakkinn (the jacket) also in the definite form when combined with þinn?
The same rule applies: a noun with a possessive pronoun takes the definite form. Jakki (“jacket”) is masculine, so its definite form is jakkinn, and with the matching pronoun þinn (your, masculine nominative) you get jakkinn þinn (“your jacket”).
What case are regnhlífin mín and jakkinn þinn in, and why?
Both are in the nominative singular. Regnhlífin mín is the subject of the sentence, and after a comparative introduced by en, the noun you compare to (jakkinn þinn) remains in the nominative as well.
Why is the verb er used here instead of another form?
Er is the present‐tense form of “to be” (vera). It functions as the copula linking the subject (regnhlífin mín) with the predicate adjective (stærri en jakkinn þinn)—just like “is” in English.
How do you pronounce the cluster nhl in Regnhlífin?
Break it into regn- + -hlí- + -fin. Pronounce regn roughly like the “regn” in Danish/German (sounds like [rɛiŋn]), then hlí with a voiceless l preceded by a brief h (like hle[e]), and finish with fin (“feen”). So:
• REGN-hLEE-fin (approximate English guide).