Questions & Answers about Það er hættulegt að hjóla án hjálms.
Why does hættulegt end in -t and not just hættuleg?
In Icelandic, adjectives normally agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case.
Here, the structure is:
- Það – a dummy subject “it”, which is neuter singular nominative
- hættulegt – adjective “dangerous” in the form that matches a neuter singular nominative subject
So:
- masculine: hættulegur
- feminine: hættuleg
- neuter: hættulegt
Because það is neuter, the predicate adjective must be neuter too, so you get hættulegt.
If the subject were a real masculine noun, like sportið (“the sport”, actually neuter, but for illustration, imagine a masculine noun), the form would change. For example:
- Hjólreiðar eru hættulegar – “Cycling is dangerous” (here hjólreiðar is feminine plural, so hættulegar is too)
What is the function of Það in this sentence? Is it referring to something specific?