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Questions & Answers about Ferðin var frábær.
What are the roles of each word in the sentence?
- Ferðin: the subject, meaning “the trip,” in definite form.
- var: the past tense of vera (“to be”), 3rd person singular (“was”).
- frábær: a predicate adjective (“great/excellent”) describing the subject.
Why does Ferðin end with -in instead of using a separate word for “the”?
Icelandic usually puts the definite article on the end of the noun. So:
- Indefinite: ferð (trip)
- Definite: ferðin (the trip) At the start of a sentence it’s capitalized: Ferðin. Icelandic does have a separate article hinn/hin/hið, but it’s used differently (mostly with adjectives: e.g., hin frábæra ferð).
What case, number, and gender is Ferðin here?
- Case: Nominative (it’s the subject of a “to be” sentence)
- Number: Singular
- Gender: Feminine (the noun ferð is feminine)
Why is it frábær and not frábært or frábæra?
Predicate adjectives agree with the subject in gender and number and take the strong form:
- Feminine singular nominative of frábær is frábær (same as masculine).
- Neuter would be frábært (e.g., Það var frábært).
- frábæra is the weak form used attributively with a definite noun: frábæra ferðin (“the great trip”).
Could I say it in the present instead of past?
Yes. Past: Ferðin var frábær (“The trip was great”). Present (if it’s ongoing or you’re speaking during it): Ferðin er frábær (“The trip is great”).
How do I turn this into a yes/no question or a wh-question?
Icelandic has verb-second word order:
- Yes/no: Var ferðin frábær? (“Was the trip great?”)
- Wh-question: Hvernig var ferðin? (“How was the trip?”)
How do I negate it?
Place ekki after the verb:
- Ferðin var ekki frábær. (“The trip was not great.”)
How do I pronounce the tricky letters here?
- ð in Ferðin is like the th in “this” (voiced).
- á in frábær sounds like “ow” in “now.”
- æ in frábær sounds like the vowel in “eye.”
- r is trilled or tapped. A rough guide: FEHR-dhin var FROW-bye(r).
Why can I say Það var frábært but not use frábær there?
Það is a neuter pronoun (“it/that”), so the predicate adjective must be neuter: frábært. With a feminine subject like Ferðin, use frábær.
Can I intensify the adjective?
Yes. Common intensifiers go before the adjective:
- Ferðin var mjög/alveg/rosalega/ótrúlega frábær. “Mjög frábær” is possible, but many speakers prefer adverbs like alveg or rosalega with strong adjectives such as frábær.
What’s the difference between frábær ferð and Ferðin var frábær?
- frábær ferð = “a great trip” (attributive, indefinite).
- Ferðin var frábær = “the trip was great” (predicate, definite). With a definite noun and an attributive adjective, use the weak form: frábæra ferðin (“the great trip”).
Are there near-synonyms I could use instead of frábær?
Yes, for example:
- æðisleg (feminine form): Ferðin var æðisleg.
- góð (feminine of “good”): Ferðin var góð. Colloquial options exist (e.g., geggjuð), but register can vary.