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Questions & Answers about Búðin er stærri en skólinn.
What does búðin mean, and why does it end with -in?
Búðin is the definite form of búð, which means “store” or “shop.” In Icelandic, the definite article (the) is attached as a suffix to the noun.
- búð = a store
- búðin = the store
Why is er used here, and what form of the verb is it?
Er is the third-person singular present tense of að vera (“to be”). It functions as the copula “is” in this sentence:
- Búðin er … = “The store is” …
Why is stærri spelled that way, and how do you form comparatives of adjectives in Icelandic?
Stærri is the comparative form of stór (“big”). To form the comparative for most adjectives:
- Take the adjective stem (here stór minus final -r).
- Add -ri (often with a vowel change if needed).
So stór → stærri = “bigger.”
Note that some adjectives are irregular (e.g. góður → betri for “good” → “better”).
Why is en used here, and what does it mean?
In comparisons, en corresponds to English “than.” It links the comparative adjective to the thing being compared:
- stærri en skólinn = “bigger than the school.”
Why is skólinn in the nominative case rather than another case?
After en in a simple comparative, the noun remains in the nominative. You’re not doing an action to skólinn, you’re simply comparing two nominative subjects:
- Subject 1: Búðin (nominative)
- Subject 2: skólinn (nominative)
Can I add words like mun or miklu to strengthen the comparison? How?
Yes. To emphasize the gap, you can insert:
- mun = “by far” / “definitely” (more formal)
- miklu = “much”
Examples: - Búðin er mun stærri en skólinn. (The store is by far bigger than the school.)
- Búðin er miklu stærri en skólinn. (The store is much bigger than the school.)
How do I pronounce ú and ð in búðin?
- ú is a long [uː] vowel, like the “oo” in English food.
- ð is a voiced “th” [ð], like in English this.
So búðin is pronounced approximately /ˈpuː.ðin/.