Questions & Answers about Nóttin er löng og köld.
Why does "Nóttin" end in -in? Is that the word “the”?
Yes. Icelandic usually marks definiteness by adding a suffix to the noun. -in is the nominative singular feminine definite ending, so Nóttin means the night. Without it, nótt means “a night” or just “night” (indefinite). A few other common forms:
- Accusative singular definite: nóttina
- Dative singular definite: nóttunni (e.g., á nóttunni = “at night”)
- Genitive singular definite: næturinnar (genitive sg is nætur: e.g., til nætur = “tonight”)
Is there ever a separate word for “the” before a noun?
In everyday Icelandic, definiteness is almost always shown by the suffix (e.g., nóttin). There is a separate word, hinn/hin/hitt, but it’s formal/literary. You might see something like hin langa nótt (“the long night”) in formal writing, but in normal speech you’d say langa nóttin.
What’s the dictionary form and gender of "nótt"? How do I make the plural?
The dictionary form is nótt (feminine). The plural nominative is nætur (“nights”). Example: Nætur eru langar og kaldar (“Nights are long and cold”). The word is irregular: note ó → æ in plural and in the genitive singular (nætur).
What does "er" mean here, and how is it conjugated?