Log inSign up

Bókin er áhugaverð.

Bókin er áhugaverð.
The book is interesting.
FromLesson 11inHardcore Icelandic
…

Breakdown of Bókin er áhugaverð.

vera
to be
bókin
the book
áhugaverður
interesting

Questions & Answers about Bókin er áhugaverð.

Why doesn’t the sentence have a separate word for the, and what does the -in on Bókin indicate?
Icelandic marks definiteness with a suffix rather than a separate article. Bókin is made of the stem bók (book) + -in, the definite singular feminine ending. So Bókin literally means “the book” in one word.
What case and gender is Bókin in, and why?
Bókin is feminine singular nominative. It’s the subject of the verb er (“is”), so it takes the nominative case. Since bók is a feminine noun and we’re talking about a single book, it’s singular feminine.
What is er, and how is the verb vera conjugated in the present tense?

Er is the 3rd person singular present of vera (to be). The present-tense forms are:
• ég er (I am)
• þú ert (you are)
• hann/hún/það er (he/she/it is)
• við erum (we are)
• þið eruð (you pl. are)
• þeir/þær/þau eru (they are)

Why does áhugaverð end in -ð, and how does it agree with Bókin?
Áhugaverð is an adjective meaning “interesting.” In predicative position (after er), adjectives use the strong declension and must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun. Since Bókin is feminine singular nominative, the adjective takes the corresponding ending -ð: áhugaverð.
How would you turn “The book is interesting.” into a yes/no question?

Invert the verb and subject:
Er bókin áhugaverð?
You keep the same words but swap er and bókin, then add a question mark.

How do you say “an interesting book” in Icelandic when the adjective comes before the noun?

Attributive adjectives in the indefinite form also use the strong declension. Feminine singular nominative is unchanged from the predicative form:
áhugaverð bók

How do you say “the interesting book” attributively (adjective before noun)?

For a definite noun with an attributive adjective, both take the weak (definite) endings. Feminine singular nominative gets -a on the adjective and -ina on the noun:
áhugverða bókina

More from this lesson

saganSagan er löng.semsegjaMamma segir söguna.áhugaverðurSagan sem þú segir er áhugaverð.liturinn
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 Icelandic

Master Icelandic — from Bókin er áhugaverð 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
Start learning Icelandic freeBrowse the full course