Haustið í skóginum er lengra og rólegra en vorið.

Autumn in the forest is longer and calmer than the spring.

Breakdown of Haustið í skóginum er lengra og rólegra en vorið.

• vera: to be
• í: in
• og: and
• en: than

Questions & Answers about Haustið í skóginum er lengra og rólegra en vorið.

What does the -ið ending in haustið and vorið mean, and why is it there?

The ending -ið is the definite article for neuter singular nouns in the nominative or accusative case.

• haust = autumn (indefinite)
• haustið = the autumn
• vor = spring (indefinite)
• vorið = the spring

In the sentence Haustið í skóginum er lengra og rólegra en vorið, both haustið and vorið are:

• neuter
• singular
• nominative
• definite (so they take -ið)

So literally: “The autumn in the forest is longer and calmer than the spring.”

Which case are haustið and vorið in, and how do you know?

Both haustið and vorið are in the nominative singular.

Reason:

• The subject of the sentence is haustið í skóginum (“the autumn in the forest”).
• The phrase after en in a comparison (en vorið) is also in the nominative, because it is being compared as if you said “the autumn … is longer … than the spring is.”

So:

• haustið – nominative singular neuter, definite
• vorið – nominative singular neuter, definite

Why is it í skóginum and not something else like í skóginn?