Questions & Answers about Ég þarf gott ráð.
What does each word mean and what is its role?
- Ég = I (1st‑person singular nominative pronoun; the subject)
- þarf = need (present tense of the verb þurfa, 1st/3rd person singular form)
- gott = good (adjective agreeing with a neuter noun in number/case)
- ráð = advice, a tip (neuter noun; here, a single piece of advice)
So the structure is Subject + Verb + Adjective + Noun: Ég þarf gott ráð = I need a good (piece of) advice.
Why is it gott and not góður or góð?
Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. Ráð is a neuter noun, so the adjective must be neuter. The neuter singular nominative/accusative form of góður is gott.
- góður = masculine
- góð = feminine
- gott = neuter
What case is ráð in here, and why?
It’s in the accusative case because it’s the direct object of þurfa (to need). Many Icelandic verbs govern specific cases; þurfa takes an accusative object. For neuter nouns, nominative and accusative often look the same, as with ráð.
Where is the English article a/an in Icelandic?