Stutt æfing á morgnana er góð venja.

A short exercise in the mornings is a good habit.

Breakdown of Stutt æfing á morgnana er góð venja.

• vera: to be
• góður: good
• stuttur: short
• á: in

Questions & Answers about Stutt æfing á morgnana er góð venja.

Why is it stutt and not stuttur, which is the dictionary form?

Icelandic adjectives change their form to agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

• The base adjective is stuttur = short (masculine, nominative singular, strong declension).
• The noun æfing (exercise / workout) is feminine, singular, nominative.

For a feminine, nominative singular noun, the strong form of stuttur is stutt:

• masculine: stuttur maður – a short man
• feminine: stutt æfing – a short exercise
• neuter: stutt bréf – a short letter

So stutt is the correctly inflected form to match æfing.

What gender and case is æfing, and what does it mean here?

• æfing is a feminine noun.
• In this sentence it is in the nominative singular: æfing (not æfingu, æfingar, etc.).
• It is the subject of the sentence: Stutt æfing á morgnana = A short workout in the mornings.

Meaning-wise, æfing can mean:

• exercise, workout (physical exercise)
• practice, drill, exercise (for skills, music, sports, etc.)

Here, from context, it’s best understood as a short workout / short exercise session.