Sturtan er ekki heit núna.

The shower is not hot now.

Breakdown of Sturtan er ekki heit núna.

• vera: to be
• ekki: not
• núna: now
• heit: hot
• sturtan: the shower

Questions & Answers about Sturtan er ekki heit núna.

Why is sturtan used for the shower instead of sturta?

In Icelandic, definiteness is marked by a suffix on the noun rather than a separate article. Feminine nouns in the nominative singular take -n when they’re definite.
• sturta = a shower
• sturtan = the shower

Why is the adjective heit used instead of heitur?

After a copula like er (“is”), adjectives appear in their predicative (strong) form. The strong nominative feminine singular of heitur (“hot”) is heit. You don’t use the full base form heitur here.

How does the adjective agree with sturtan?

Predicative adjectives in Icelandic agree in gender, number, and case with their subject:
• Sturtan is feminine, singular, nominative → adjective is heit

Why is ekki placed before heit rather than at the very end of the sentence?

The negator ekki in Icelandic normally follows the finite verb and precedes whatever it negates. Here it negates the adjective “hot,” so it sits directly before heit:
… er ekki heit …

Can I front núna as in Núna er sturtan ekki heit?

Yes. Icelandic enforces V2 word order: the finite verb must be in second position. If you start with an adverb (núna), the verb comes next, then the subject:
Núna (1) – er (2) – sturtan – ekki heit.

What’s the difference between núna and nú?

Both mean now.
• núna is more colloquial or stresses immediacy (“right now”).
• nú is slightly more formal or neutral.

How do you pronounce Sturtan er ekki heit núna?

IPA: [ˈstʏr̥tan ɛr ˈɛkːɪ ˈheit ˈnuːna]
Approximation: STURR-tan er EK-kee hite NOO-nah.