Questions & Answers about Stöðin er tóm snemma á morgnana.
Why is stöðin spelled with -in at the end instead of standing alone as stöð?
In Icelandic the definite article is not a separate word but a suffix on the noun.
- stöð = “station” (indefinite)
- -in = feminine nominative singular definite ending
So stöðin literally means “the station.”
What case is stöðin in, and how do I recognize it?
stöðin is in the nominative case because it’s the subject of the sentence (it’s doing the “being empty”). In Icelandic, the subject always takes the nominative.
Why is the adjective tóm and not tómur (masculine) or tómt (neuter)?
After a linking verb like er (“is”), adjectives appear in their strong (indefinite) forms and must agree with the subject in gender, number, and case.
- tómur = dictionary (masculine)
- tóm = strong feminine nominative indefinite
- tómt = strong neuter nominative indefinite
Since stöðin is feminine singular nominative, the correct form is tóm.
What part of speech is snemma, and why is it placed before “á morgnana”?
snemma is an adverb meaning “early.” In Icelandic, adverbs of time typically precede the prepositional phrase they modify. Hence snemma á morgnana = “early in the mornings.”