Helgin er stutt.

The weekend is short.

Breakdown of Helgin er stutt.

• vera: to be
• stutt: short
• helgin: the weekend

Questions & Answers about Helgin er stutt.

Where is “the” in this sentence? I don’t see a separate word for it.

Icelandic adds the definite article as a suffix. So helgi (weekend) + the definite ending -n becomes helgin = “the weekend.” That’s why there’s no separate word for “the.”

Why is it stutt and not stuttur or stutta?

• The adjective is in predicate position after the verb er (is). In this position, Icelandic uses the strong declension of the adjective.
• The adjective “short” is stuttur in the dictionary (masc. nom. sg., strong). Its strong nominative forms are:
  • Masculine: stuttur
  • Feminine: stutt
  • Neuter: stutt
• Since helgin is feminine, the correct strong form is stutt.
• The weak form stutta would be used before a definite noun: e.g., stutta helgin = “the short weekend.”

What gender is helgi, and does that matter here?

Helgi is a feminine noun. That matters because adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. Here the subject is feminine singular nominative (helgin), so the predicate adjective appears as feminine singular nominative strong: stutt.

Which case is Helgin in, and why?

Nominative. The verb er (is) is a copula, and its subject (Helgin) is in the nominative. The predicate adjective (stutt) also agrees with the subject in gender/number/case (feminine, singular, nominative).

Could this mean “Helgi (the male name) is short”?

No. The male name Helgi declines without an -n in the nominative. Helgin with -n is the definite form of the common noun helgi (weekend/holiday). So Helgin er stutt can only mean “The weekend is short,” not “Helgi is short.”

Is stutt here an adjective or an adverb?

An adjective. After er (is), we need an adjective describing the subject. While stutt can also function adverbially (“briefly”), here it clearly agrees with helgin and works as an adjective.

How would I say “Weekends are short” (a general statement)?

Use the plural: Helgar eru stuttar.

• helgar = weekends (fem. nom. pl.)
• stuttar = short (fem. nom. pl., strong)

How do I say it in other tenses: “was short,” “will be short”?

• Past: Helgin var stutt. (The weekend was short.)
• Future: Helgin verður stutt. (The weekend will be short.)

If I put the adjective before the noun, what happens?

Before a definite noun, the adjective takes weak endings:

• stutta helgin = “the short weekend” You can also add the standalone article hin:
• hin stutta helgi (more formal/literary) = “the short weekend”

What are some common time expressions with helgi?

• um helgina = over/at the weekend (this coming or a specific weekend; accusative)
• um helgar = on weekends (in general; plural)
• um næstu helgi = over next weekend
• á helginni = during/over the weekend (dative; often more like “over the course of the weekend”)

Can I change the word order for emphasis?

Yes. Icelandic allows fronting with verb-second order. For emphasis:

• Stutt er helgin. = “Short is the weekend.” (marked, poetic/literary or emphatic)
  The neutral, everyday word order is Helgin er stutt.

How do I make it negative or ask a question?

• Question: Er helgin stutt? (Is the weekend short?)
• Negative: Helgin er ekki stutt. (The weekend is not short.)

Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• Helgin: say it roughly like “HEL-gin,” with a clear hard g; the final -in is one syllable.
• er: like English “air” but short.
• stutt: the vowel is short (like English “u” in “put”); the double tt is a long, crisp t-sound.
  This is a rough guide; Icelandic has sounds and length contrasts that aren’t in English.

Does helgi only mean “weekend”?

No. helgi can also mean “holiday, sacredness/holiness” in other contexts. In modern everyday speech, helgi most often means “weekend.” Context clarifies the meaning.

How do I say “shorter” and “shortest” with this adjective?

• Comparative: styttri
  
  • Helgin er styttri en ég bjóst við. = The weekend is shorter than I expected.
• Superlative (predicate): styst
  
  • Þessi helgi er styst. = This weekend is (the) shortest.
• Attributive definite (weak): stysta
  
  • sú stysta helgi = the shortest weekend (formal/literary with sú) / stysta helgin in everyday style.