…
Breakdown of Jakkinn minn er þykkastur í flugvélinni.
vera
to be
minn
my
í
in
jakkinn
the jacket
flugvélin
the airplane
þykkastur
thickest
Questions & Answers about Jakkinn minn er þykkastur í flugvélinni.
Why is jakkinn minn formed like that? Why not minn jakki or just jakki minn?
In Icelandic, a noun with a possessive pronoun usually takes the definite ending and then the pronoun follows. You start with jakki (“a jacket”), add the masculine definite suffix -inn → jakkinn (“the jacket”), and then attach minn (“my”). Hence jakkinn minn = “the jacket of mine” = “my jacket.” Swapping the order (minn jakki) or dropping the suffix (jakki minn) sounds non-idiomatic here.
How do we form the comparative and superlative of þykkur (“thick”)?
Icelandic adjectives typically go:
• Positive: þykkur (“thick”)
• Comparative: þykkari (“thicker”)
• Superlative: þykkastur (“thickest”)
In our sentence Jakkinn minn er þykkastur, you’re using the superlative to say “my jacket is the thickest.”
Why is the superlative þykkastur ending in -stur instead of something like -sti?
Most Icelandic superlatives are built on the root + -astur, and then you decline that form for gender, number, and case. Here the root þykk- + a + stur gives þykkastur (nominative masculine singular). You do not manufacture a special “-sti” ending.
Why isn’t there a separate definite article before þykkastur? In English we say “the thickest.”
When a superlative appears predicatively (after vera “to be”), Icelandic does not use an additional article. The adjective’s superlative form alone carries the meaning “the thickest.” So Jakkinn minn er þykkastur = “My jacket is the thickest.”
What case is used after í in í flugvélinni, and why?
The preposition í governs the dative when it describes a static location (“where something is”). Hence flugvél (feminine noun) in the definite dative singular becomes flugvélinni, and í flugvélinni means “in the plane.” (If you were going into the plane, motion toward, you’d use the accusative: í flugvélina.)
How is flugvélinni formed? Why the long -inni ending?
flugvél is a feminine 1st-declension noun. Its definite dative singular ending is -inni.
• Indef. nom.sg.: flugvél
• Def. nom.sg.: flugvélin
• Def. dat.sg.: flugvélinni
So í flugvélinni = “in the (air)plane.”
How do you pronounce þykkastur?
The letter þ is like the voiceless “th” in English think. The double kk shows the preceding vowel is short. A rough phonetic rendering is [ˈθɪkːa.stʏr], i.e. “THIK-kass-tur.”
Could you use á flugvélinni instead of í flugvélinni?
Normally í is used for being inside something (“in the plane”). Using á flugvélinni would suggest being “on top of” or “on” the plane’s surface. So stick with í flugvélinni for “in the plane.”
If I want to say “My jacket is the thickest of all the jackets on the plane,” how do I express “of all the jackets”?
You can add an af + dative phrase to show “out of all.” For example:
Jakkinn minn er þykkastur af öllum jökkum í flugvélinni.
Here af öllum jökkum = “out of all jackets.”
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Icelandic grammar?”
Icelandic grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning IcelandicMaster Icelandic — from Jakkinn minn er þykkastur í flugvélinni to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions