Fiskurinn er gulur.

The fish is yellow.

Breakdown of Fiskurinn er gulur.

• vera: to be
• fiskurinn: the fish
• gulur: yellow

Questions & Answers about Fiskurinn er gulur.

What does the -inn suffix in fiskurinn indicate?

In Icelandic there is no separate word for “the.” Instead, the definite article is attached to the end of the noun as a suffix. Since fiskur is a masculine noun in the nominative singular, we add -inn to form fiskurinn = “the fish.”

How do I form the definite article for other genders and numbers?

The suffix changes according to gender, number and case, but here are the nominative forms in the singular and plural:
• Masculine singular: -inn (fiskur → fiskurinn)
• Feminine singular: -in (móðir → móðirin)
• Neuter singular: -ið (hús → húsið)
• Masculine plural: -arnir (fiskar → fiskarnir)
• Feminine plural: -urnar (stúlkur → stúlknar)
• Neuter plural: -in (hús → húsin)

Why is the adjective gulur not guli or gult?

Adjectives agree in gender, number, and case. The adjective gulur has three strong (predicate) forms in the nominative singular:
• gulur = masculine
• gul = feminine
• gult = neuter
Since fiskurinn is masculine nominative singular and gulur is used predicatively (after er), we choose the strong masculine form gulur.

Shouldn’t the adjective take a definite ending (e.g. guli) to match the definite noun fiskurinn?

Only attributive adjectives (those placed directly before a noun) take the weak form when the noun is definite. In a predicate structure (after er), adjectives remain in the strong form: • Attributive definite: guli fiskurinn (“the yellow fish”)
• Predicative: Fiskurinn er gulur (“The fish is yellow”)

How do I say “a yellow fish” in Icelandic?

Icelandic has no indefinite article (“a/an”). Use the indefinite noun and the adjective in its strong form, placed before the noun:
gulur fiskur = “a yellow fish.”

How would I make the sentence negative?

Insert ekki (not) immediately after the verb er:
Fiskurinn er ekki gulur.
= “The fish is not yellow.”

How do I turn this into a question: “Is the fish yellow?”

Invert the verb and the subject:
Er fiskurinn gulur?

How would this sentence look in the plural: “The fish are yellow”?

Use the plural definite noun (fiskarnir), the plural form of vera (eru), and the plural strong adjective (gulir):
Fiskarnir eru gulir.
If you want “Fish are yellow” in general (no “the”), drop the definite suffix: Fiskar eru gulir.

Why does the verb er always come second in the sentence?

Icelandic is a V2 (verb-second) language. The finite verb normally occupies the second position in a main clause, regardless of which element comes first. Here the subject fiskurinn is first, so er follows it.