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Questions & Answers about Stofan er þægileg.
Why is the noun stofan spelled with an -n at the end?
In Icelandic the definite article attaches as a suffix. The base form stofa means “a living room.” To say “the living room” in the nominative singular, you add -n (for first-declension feminine nouns), yielding stofan.
Why do we use er here instead of some other form of “to be”?
er is the third-person singular present of the verb vera (“to be”). Our subject stofan (“the living room”) is singular, so we use er (“is”).
How do I know stofa is a feminine noun?
Most Icelandic nouns ending in -a belong to the first declension and are feminine. While there are a few exceptions, stofa follows that regular pattern.
Why is the adjective þægileg and not þægilega?
Because it’s a predicate adjective (coming after the verb er), it takes the strong inflection and agrees with a feminine singular nominative noun. The strong feminine nominative singular form of þægilegur is þægileg. The weak form þægilega would be used attributively after a definite noun (e.g. þægilega stofan = “the comfortable living room”).
Why does þægilegur drop -ur and become þægileg in the feminine?
Icelandic adjectives agree in gender, number and case with the noun. The masculine nominative singular form is þægilegur. In the strong feminine nominative singular, the -ur ending is replaced by - (giving þægileg).
How would I ask “Is the living room comfortable?” in Icelandic?
Invert verb and subject for a yes–no question. You get:
Er stofan þægileg?
How do I say “The living room is not comfortable”?
Insert ekki (“not”) immediately after the verb:
Stofan er ekki þægileg.
How do I say “My living room is comfortable”?
Add your possessive before the noun (with the correct form) and keep the rest:
Stofan mín er þægileg.