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Questions & Answers about Hurðin er hrein núna.
What does the ending -in in Hurðin mean?
It’s the suffixed definite article, meaning “the.” The base noun is hurð (door, feminine). With the definite article:
- Masculine: -inn
- Feminine: -in → hurðin = “the door”
- Neuter: -ið
So hurð = “a door,” hurðin = “the door.”
Why is the adjective hrein (and not hreina, hreint, or hreinn)?
Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun. Hurð is feminine singular, so in a predicative sentence with vera (to be), the adjective is nominative feminine singular strong: hrein.
- Masculine: hreinn
- Feminine: hrein
- Neuter: hreint
Which case is hrein in, and why?
Nominative. After the copula vera (to be), the predicative adjective agrees with the subject in case (nominative), gender, and number: Hurðin (nom. f. sg.) er hrein (nom. f. sg.).
Could I say Hún er hrein núna instead?
Yes. Hurð is feminine, so you can replace Hurðin with the pronoun hún: Hún er hrein núna = “She/it is clean now.”
Can I move núna to the front or before the adjective?
Yes, with normal Icelandic V2 word order:
- Núna er hurðin hrein. (adverb first, verb second)
- Hurðin er núna hrein. All three orders are fine; the placement changes emphasis slightly.
Is there a difference between nú and núna?
Both can mean “now,” but:
- núna = “right now/at this moment” (time-specific)
- nú can be “now” or a discourse marker (“well/now then”). In many contexts they’re interchangeable, but núna is the safer time adverb for “right now.”
How do I pronounce the special letters and sounds here?
- ð in hurðin = voiced “th” (as in “this”).
- hr in hrein = a breathy/voiceless h+r cluster (a whispered h before r).
- u in hurð ≈ the vowel in English “put” (but more fronted).
- ú in núna = long “oo” (as in “food”).
- ei in hrein ≈ “ay” (as in “day”). A rough guide: “HUR-thin ehr HRAYN NOO-na.”
Could I use dyrnar instead of hurðin?
Yes, but it changes the meaning slightly. dyr (always plural in Icelandic) means “door/doorway” (often the opening, or double doors). Then you must use plural agreement:
- Dyrnar eru hreinar núna. = “The doors/doorway are clean now.”
How would I say this in the past or about the future?
- Past: Hurðin var hrein (í gær). = “The door was clean (yesterday).”
- Future/resulting state: Hurðin verður hrein (á morgun). = “The door will (become) clean (tomorrow).”
- More explicit future: Hurðin mun vera hrein á morgun.
What happens to the case if the door becomes a direct object (e.g., “I cleaned the door”)?
The noun goes to accusative: hurðina.
- Ég þreif hurðina; hún er hrein núna. = “I cleaned the door; it is clean now.”
Do adjectives agree with number too?
Yes.
- Singular feminine: Hurðin er hrein.
- Plural feminine: Hurðirnar eru hreinar.
- Neuter singular example: Húsið er hreint.
When do I use the form hreina?
In attributive position before a definite noun (weak declension):
- hreina hurðin = “the clean door.” You can also add the separate article for a more formal style:
- hin hreina hurðin.
Can I just drop núna?
Yes. Hurðin er hrein is a complete sentence. núna simply adds the “right now” time frame.
How do I say “not clean now”?
Insert ekki after the verb:
- Hurðin er ekki hrein núna.
What’s the opposite or a common synonym?
- Opposites: óhrein, skítug = “dirty.”
- Related: hreinsuð/hreinsuð (past participle) = “cleaned,” focusing on the action having been done rather than the general state.