Question 1

What part of speech is minna in Ég tala minna, and what role does it play?

Accepted Answer

Minna is an adverb here. It’s the comparative form of lítið (“little”). In Ég tala minna, it modifies the verb tala (“speak”), telling us that the amount or frequency of speaking is reduced compared to some reference (e.g., before, or to someone else).

Question 2

Why do we use minna instead of minni?

Accepted Answer

Minni is the comparative form of the adjective lítill when it agrees with a feminine noun (e.g. minni vika “a smaller week”). But when you turn lítill into an adverb (“little” → “to speak little”), the comparative adverb is minna. In short: minna = adverb, minni = adjective.

Question 3

How do you form comparative adverbs in Icelandic in general?

Accepted Answer

Many Icelandic adjectives have a corresponding adverb in neuter singular, and their comparative adverb is built the same way as the comparative adjective, but you keep the neuter ending –a. Examples:  
• mikill (adj.) → mikið (adv.) → comparative meira (adv.)  
• lítill (adj.) → lítið (adv.) → comparative minna (adv.)

Question 4

Why does minna follow the verb tala instead of preceding it?

Accepted Answer

Icelandic adverbs of degree normally come right after the finite verb. In a simple main‐clause V2 word order you have Subject → Verb → Adverb → Object. So Ég (subject) → tala (verb) → minna (adverb).

Question 5

How would you say “I speak less Icelandic” in Icelandic?

Accepted Answer

You insert the object íslensku (accusative of íslenska “Icelandic”) after minna:  
  Ég tala minna íslensku.  
Word order: Ég (I) → tala (speak) → minna (less) → íslensku (Icelandic).

Question 6

How do you strengthen or intensify minna (e.g. “much less”)?

Accepted Answer

You can add an adverb like miklu or mun before minna:  
• Ég tala miklu minna núna. (“I speak much less now.”)  
• Ég tala mun minna en ég gerði áður. (“I speak far less than I used to.”)

Question 7

How do you form a comparison “I speak less than you”?

Accepted Answer

Use en (“than”) after minna:  
  Ég tala minna en þú.  
Literally “I speak less than you.”

Question 8

Can the subject pronoun Ég be dropped here?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Icelandic often drops subject pronouns if the verb form is unambiguous:  
  Tala minna.  
Still “(I) speak less,” but leaving out Ég makes it more colloquial or context‐dependent.

Question 9

How would you pronounce minna?

Accepted Answer

Phonetically roughly /ˈmɪnːa/. The double nn indicates a long or geminated nasal sound, so hold the n slightly longer than a single n.

Ég tala minna.

Breakdown of Ég tala minna.

Questions & Answers about Ég tala minna.

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