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Questions & Answers about Vindurinn er sterkur.
Why does vindurinn end with -inn, and what is the base form?
In Icelandic the definite article is a suffix, not a separate word. The base noun here is vindur (wind), a masculine noun. To say “the wind” you add -inn (masculine nominative singular definite) and get vindurinn.
Why isn’t there a separate word for “the”?
Unlike English, Icelandic attaches the definite article directly onto the noun as a suffix. The form of that suffix changes with gender, number and case. For example, hestur (a horse) becomes hesturinn (“the horse”) in the same way.
What does er mean in this sentence?
er is the third-person singular present of að vera (“to be”). In English it corresponds to “is.”
Why is the adjective sterkur not declined for definiteness like vindurinn?
Because sterkur is in predicate position (it follows the verb er). Predicate adjectives in Icelandic agree in gender, number and case with the noun but stay in the indefinite form—they never take a definite article suffix. Here they match the masculine singular nominative of vindurinn, giving sterkur.
Why is it sterkur and not sterk or sterkt?
Icelandic adjectives change their endings to agree with the noun’s gender, number and case. sterkur is the masculine singular nominative form. sterk would be feminine singular nominative, and sterkt would be neuter singular nominative.
How would I say “a strong wind” in Icelandic?
There is no indefinite article word in Icelandic. You simply use the adjective before the noun in its indefinite form: sterkur vindur (“strong wind” or “a strong wind”). The adjective precedes the noun and carries the appropriate ending for indefiniteness.
How would I say “the strong wind” if I want the adjective attributively?
When an adjective precedes a definite noun, it takes the weak (definite) inflection. For masculine singular nominative you add -i, giving sterki vindurinn (“the strong wind”).
How do I negate Vindurinn er sterkur?
Place ekki (“not”) after the verb: Vindurinn er ekki sterkur (“The wind is not strong”). The basic word order remains Subject–Verb–Negation–Predicate.