Hurðin er hrein núna.

to be

Breakdown of Hurðin er hrein núna.

• núna: now
• hurðin: the door
• hrein: clean

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.