Hnífurinn er beittur.

to be

Breakdown of Hnífurinn er beittur.

• hnífurinn: the knife
• beittur: sharp

Questions & Answers about Hnífurinn er beittur.

What does hnífurinn consist of and why does it end in -inn?

hnífur means “knife” (a masculine noun). The suffix -inn is the definite article for masculine singular, so hnífurinn literally means “the knife.”

What case is hnífurinn in, and why?

It’s in the nominative case because it’s the subject of the sentence. In Icelandic, subjects take the nominative.

What is er here?

er is the 3rd-person singular present tense of að vera (“to be”). It’s the copula linking hnífurinn (the subject) to beittur (the predicate adjective).

Why does beittur end in -ur?

Adjectives in Icelandic agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe. beittur is in the strong (predicative) form for masculine nominative singular, hence the -ur ending.

Why can’t we just say beitt without the -ur?

beitt is the neuter nominative singular form. Since hnífurinn is masculine, the correct form is , not .