Questions & Answers about Haustið er kalt í borginni.
Why does haustið have -ið on the end? Why not just haust?
In Icelandic, the definite article (the) is usually attached to the end of the noun as a suffix, instead of being a separate word like in English.
- haust = autumn / fall (indefinite: “autumn” in general, no “the”)
- haustið = the autumn / the fall (definite: the autumn)
So haustið er kalt í borginni literally means “the autumn is cold in the city.”
Using haustið instead of haust makes it feel like you’re talking about “the (typical) autumn” as a known season, not just “an autumn.”
Why is it kalt and not kaldur or köld?
The adjective must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun it describes when it’s used predicatively with “to be” (vera).
- haustið is:
- neuter
- singular
- nominative (subject of the sentence)
So the adjective kaldur/köld/kalt must match that:
- masculine: kaldur
- feminine: köld
- neuter: kalt
Therefore: Haustið er kalt = “The autumn is cold.”
If the subject were, for example:
- veturinn (the winter, masculine) → Veturinn er kaldur.
- vakan (the night shift, feminine) → Vakan er köld.
Why is it í borginni and not í borgin or í borg?