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Questions & Answers about Þetta er íslenska.
How do you pronounce Þetta er íslenska?
- Þetta: [ˈθɛht̪a] — roughly THEHT-ta (voiceless th as in thing; Icelandic tt is preaspirated, so you hear a little breath before the t)
- er: [ɛr] — ehr (short e, trilled or tapped r)
- íslenska: [ˈislɛnska] — EES-lens-ka (stress on the first syllable; long í like English ee)
What does each word mean?
- Þetta = this (neuter demonstrative pronoun)
- er = is (3rd person singular of að vera, to be)
- íslenska = Icelandic (the language; a feminine noun)
Why is íslenska not capitalized?
Languages in Icelandic are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence. So íslenska is lowercase by default. This differs from English, which capitalizes language names.
Why is there no word for “a” or “the” here?
Icelandic has no separate indefinite article (no equivalent of “a/an”). The definite article is a suffix. Compare:
- íslenska = Icelandic (language), general/indefinite
- íslenskan = the Icelandic (language), definite
Which case is íslenska in, and why?
It’s nominative singular. After the verb vera (to be), the complement (predicate noun) is in the nominative: Þetta (nom.) er íslenska (nom.).
Why does íslenska end in -a? What’s its gender?
íslenska is a feminine noun (derived from the adjective íslenskur). Many weak feminine nouns end in -a in the nominative singular.
Could I say Þetta er íslenskan?
Grammatically yes, but it’s more specific: it means “This is the Icelandic (language),” with the definite article. You’d use it when you’re contrasting or referring to a specific, known entity. For a neutral label/identification, Þetta er íslenska is more natural.
Could I say Þetta er íslenskt?
That uses the adjective (neuter singular) and means “This is Icelandic” in the sense of origin/type (e.g., an Icelandic product or style), not the language. To name the language, use the noun íslenska.
How do I say “This is in Icelandic” (e.g., about a text)?
Use a prepositional phrase with the dative: Þetta er á íslensku.
What’s the difference between Þetta and Það in this kind of sentence?
- Þetta = this/that referring to a specific thing you can point to or just mentioned; very common in identifications: Þetta er íslenska.
- Það can be “that/it” or a dummy subject (“it” in “it’s raining”). You’d typically not use Það er íslenska to identify a pointed-at object; Þetta er is preferred.
How does íslenska decline?
Indefinite singular (weak feminine):
- Nominative: íslenska
- Accusative: íslensku
- Dative: íslensku
- Genitive: íslensku
Definite singular:
- Nominative: íslenskan
- Accusative: íslenskuna
- Dative: íslenskunni
- Genitive: íslenskunnar
What are the forms of að vera (to be) in the present?
- ég er (I am)
- þú ert (you are, sg.)
- hann/hún/það er (he/she/it is)
- við erum (we are)
- þið eruð (you are, pl.)
- þeir/þær/þau eru (they are)
Why doesn’t íslenska agree with Þetta in gender?
Agreement applies to adjectives. Here íslenska is a noun (the language), not an adjective modifying Þetta, so it keeps its own gender (feminine). If you used an adjective, it would agree with Þetta (neuter): Þetta er íslenskt.
Is the word order special here?
No. It’s the normal subject–verb–complement order: Þetta (subject) er (verb) íslenska (complement). Icelandic main clauses are generally verb-second, which this satisfies.