Þetta er sérstakt.

to be

Breakdown of Þetta er sérstakt.

• þetta: this
• sérstakur: special

Questions & Answers about Þetta er sérstakt.

What are the individual words in Þetta er sérstakt and what do they do in the sentence?

The sentence has three words:

• Þetta – a demonstrative pronoun (like this or it). It is neuter singular, nominative.
• er – the 3rd person singular present form of the verb að vera (to be).
• sérstakt – an adjective in the neuter singular nominative form, used as a predicate adjective (describing the subject via to be).

So the structure is: Subject (Þetta) + verb (er) + predicate adjective (sérstakt).

Why does sérstakt end in -t here?

Icelandic adjectives agree with the noun or pronoun they describe in gender, number, and case.

• The base form of the adjective is sérstakur (masculine nominative singular).
• Its main nominative singular forms are:
  • Masculine: sérstakur
  • Feminine: sérstök
  • Neuter: sérstakt

Because the subject Þetta is neuter singular nominative, the adjective must also be neuter singular nominative, so we use sérstakt with -t at the end.

Why is Þetta considered neuter? It feels like this or it in English.

In Icelandic, Þetta is the neuter singular nominative form of the demonstrative that corresponds to this.

The underlying demonstrative has these forms in the nominative:

• Masculine: þessi
• Feminine: þessi
• Neuter: þetta

When you refer to something not specifically named, or to a situation, action, or idea, Icelandic usually uses the neuter as a kind of default. So when you say Þetta er sérstakt, you are talking about some situation or thing in a general way, and neuter þetta is the normal choice.

Could I say Þetta er sérstakur instead of Þetta er sérstakt?

No, not in this structure.

• Þetta is neuter.
• sérstakur is masculine nominative singular.
• They would not agree in gender, so the sentence would be ungrammatical.

However, you could say something like:

• Þetta er sérstakur dagur. – This is a special day.
  Here:
  • Þetta is still neuter,
  • but the real subject being described is dagur (day), which is masculine, so the adjective agrees with dagur, giving sérstakur.

In Þetta er sérstakt, the adjective directly describes Þetta, so it must be in the neuter form sérstakt.

What is the difference between Þetta and Það in sentences like this?

Both can often be translated as this or that, or even just it, but there is a nuance:

• Þetta:

  • More like this, something close to the speaker in time, space, or context.
  • Common when reacting to something that just happened, something in front of you, or something just mentioned.

• Það:

  • More like that or it, often more neutral or distant.
  • Very common as a dummy subject (like it in it is raining).

In many contexts, both could work, but:

• Þetta er sérstakt feels like reacting directly to a specific situation:
  This (thing that is happening / we are talking about) is special.

• Það er sérstakt could sound a bit more distant or generic, depending on context.

How is Þetta er sérstakt pronounced?

Approximate pronunciation (in a simplified way):

• Þetta – [THET-ta]

  • Þ is like th in thing.
  • e is like e in get.
  • The tt is pronounced with a strong, aspirated sound (often something like ht to English ears).
  • Stress is on the first syllable: ÞET-ta.

• er – [ehr]

  • Similar to air, but shorter and with a tapped r.

• sérstakt – roughly [SYAIR-stakt]

  • sé is like sye in syet, or s + yeah.
  • r is tapped.
  • a is like a in father, but shorter.
  • Final kt is pronounced together, like kt in fact.
  • Stress is on the first syllable: SÉR-stakt.

Overall rhythm: ÞÉT-ta er SÉR-stakt, with main stress on the first syllable of each content word.

Why is the verb form er used here and not something like ert or eru?

er is the 3rd person singular present of að vera (to be):

• 1st person singular: ég er – I am
• 2nd person singular: þú ert – you are
• 3rd person singular: hann/hún/það/þetta er – he/she/it/this is
• 1st person plural: við erum – we are
• 2nd person plural: þið eruð – you (plural) are
• 3rd person plural: þeir/þær/þau eru – they are

The subject Þetta counts as 3rd person singular, so you must use er.

How would I make this sentence negative?

To negate, you add ekki (not) after the verb er:

• Þetta er ekki sérstakt. – This is not special.

Word order rule here:

• Subject (Þetta)
• Verb (er)
• Negation (ekki)
• Predicate adjective (sérstakt)

Can I change the word order, for example say Sérstakt er þetta?

Yes, but it changes the emphasis.

• Neutral, everyday word order:

  • Þetta er sérstakt. – The focus is on Þetta (this thing / situation).

• Marked, emphatic word order:

  • Sérstakt er þetta.
    This sounds more like:
    • Special, this is. (Yoda-style in English)
    • Emphasizes how special it is.
      It can sound expressive, poetic, or like strong commentary.

Grammatically both are fine, but Þetta er sérstakt is the normal form you should use most of the time.

Does sérstakt always have a positive meaning, or can it also be ironic or negative?

sérstakt literally means special, unusual, out of the ordinary. The positive or negative meaning depends on context, tone, and situation:

• Positive:

  • Talking about a meaningful moment, a nice surprise, a unique place, etc.
  • Þetta er sérstakt. – This is special / unique / really something (in a good way).

• Neutral or factual:

  • Just noting that something is unusual or different.

• Ironic or negative:

  • With a certain tone of voice, it can imply:
    • Well, that’s… special (meaning strange, awkward, or not good).
  • Icelanders sometimes use sérstakt in this understated, slightly ironic way.

So the sentence itself is neutral; the interpretation comes from context and intonation.