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Kvöldgangan er góð.

Kvöldgangan er góð.
The evening walk is good.

Breakdown of Kvöldgangan er góð.

vera
to be
góður
good
kvöldgangan
the evening walk
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Questions & Answers about Kvöldgangan er góð.

What are the parts of the word Kvöldgangan, and what does it literally mean?

Kvöldgangan is a compound noun made of:

  • kvöld = evening
  • ganga = walk / walking, a walk (noun, feminine)

So kvöldganga literally means “evening walk”, and kvöldgangan means “the evening walk” (with the definite ending added).

Why is it kvöldgangan and not kvöldganga? What does the -n at the end do?

The -n is part of the definite article (like “the” in English) and is attached to the noun as a suffix in Icelandic.

  • kvöldganga = an evening walk
  • kvöldgangan = the evening walk

Because ganga is a feminine noun, the nominative singular definite ending is -n, but it appears here as -an (since the stem ends in -a):

  • indef. nom. sg.: kvöldganga
  • def. nom. sg.: kvöldgangan
Why doesn’t Icelandic use a separate word for “the” here, like English does?

In Icelandic, the usual way to mark definiteness is by attaching an ending directly to the noun:

  • bók = a book → bókin = the book
  • stóll = a chair → stóllinn = the chair
  • kvöldganga = an evening walk → kvöldgangan = the evening walk

There is a separate word hinn / hin / hið, but it is used in more limited, sometimes more formal or stylistic ways (e.g. hinn gamli maður = the old man). In simple sentences like this one, the suffix article is the normal choice.

What gender is kvöldgangan, and how can I tell?

The gender of a compound noun in Icelandic is determined by its last part. Here:

  • kvöld (neuter) + ganga (feminine) → kvöldganga (feminine)

So kvöldganga / kvöldgangan is feminine.

Clues:

  • The base word ganga is a known feminine noun.
  • In the definite form, the -an ending (kvöldgangan) is typical for nominative singular definite feminine nouns ending in -a (e.g. kona → konan, stelpa → stelpan).
Why is the adjective góð and not góður or gott?

The adjective must agree with the subject (kvöldgangan) in:

  • gender: feminine
  • number: singular
  • case: nominative

The adjective “good” in Icelandic is:

  • masculine nominative singular: góður
  • feminine nominative singular: góð
  • neuter nominative singular: gott

Since kvöldgangan is feminine nominative singular, the correct form is góð:

  • Kvöldgangan er góð. = The evening walk is good.

If the subject were masculine or neuter, you’d get:

  • Bíllinn er góður. = The car is good.
  • Húsið er gott. = The house is good.
Why is it góð (the strong form) and not góða here?

Icelandic has strong and weak adjective endings.

  • When an adjective directly modifies a definite noun, it usually takes a weak ending:
    • góða konan = the good woman
  • When the adjective is a predicate (after “to be”, describing the subject), it usually takes a strong ending:
    • Konan er góð. = The woman is good.

In Kvöldgangan er góð, the adjective góð is:

  • not in front of the noun
  • used after er to describe the subject

So it is a predicate adjective, and therefore it uses the strong form góð, not góða.

Why is the form of vera here er? Could it ever be something else?

Er is the 3rd person singular present tense of vera (to be):

  • ég er = I am
  • þú ert = you are (sg.)
  • hann/hún/það er = he/she/it is

Kvöldgangan is singular, so you use er:

  • Kvöldgangan er góð. = The evening walk is good.

If the subject were plural, you would use eru:

  • Kvöldgöngurnar eru góðar. = The evening walks are good.
Is the word order always Subject – Verb – Adjective like in this sentence?

The default neutral word order in a simple Icelandic statement is indeed:

  • Subject – Verb – Complement
    • Kvöldgangan er góð.

Because Icelandic is a V2 language, the finite verb usually comes second in main clauses, but the first position can be filled by something other than the subject. For example:

  • Í kvöld er kvöldgangan góð.
    • Literally: This evening is the evening walk good.
    • Natural English: The evening walk is good tonight.

You can say Góð er kvöldgangan, but that sounds emphatic or poetic, not like everyday neutral speech. The basic learner-safe pattern is:

  • Subject – er – adjective
How would I say “The evening walk was good” or “will be good”?

Change the verb vera to the right tense:

Past tense (was):

  • Kvöldgangan var góð.
    • The evening walk was good.

Future-like meaning (will be):
Icelandic often uses verða (“become”) to express something like “will be”:

  • Kvöldgangan verður góð.
    • The evening walk will be good.

You could also say mun vera, but verður góð is very natural in this context.

How would I make this sentence plural: “The evening walks are good”?

You need to:

  1. Make kvöldganga plural and definite.
  2. Make the verb and adjective agree in plural.

Noun:

  • indef. nom. sg.: kvöldganga
  • def. nom. sg.: kvöldgangan
  • indef. nom. pl.: kvöldgöngur
  • def. nom. pl.: kvöldgöngurnar = the evening walks

Verb and adjective (feminine plural, nominative):

  • eru (3rd person plural of vera)
  • góðar (feminine nominative plural of góður)

Full sentence:

  • Kvöldgöngurnar eru góðar.
    • The evening walks are good.
How do you pronounce Kvöldgangan er góð?

Approximate pronunciation (not strict IPA, just learner-friendly):

  • Kvöldgangan ≈ KVEULD-gang-an

    • kv: like kv in kvetch
    • ö: similar to the vowel in French peur or German schön
    • ð (in kvöld): like th in this
    • -ngan: ng like in sing, then an

  • er ≈ ehr (short e as in bet)

  • góð ≈ goth (but with a long o and softer final sound)

    • ó: long o, like in go
    • ð: again like th in this, but often quite soft

So very roughly: KVEULD-gang-an ehr goeth (with the th from this, not thin).

Can Kvöldgangan er góð also mean something more general, like “Going for an evening walk is good”?

Yes, in context it can easily be understood more generally, not just about one specific walk.

  • In a specific context: “That evening walk (we’re talking about) is good / was good / will be good.”
  • In a more general or habitual context: “The evening walk (as a regular thing) is good,” effectively “An evening walk is good for you” or “Going for an evening walk is nice.”

Icelandic often uses a definite singular noun to talk about a typical or habitual activity in this way.

What’s the difference between kvöldganga, ganga, and göngutúr?

All involve walking, but with slightly different emphases:

  • ganga

    • A walk, walking, going on foot in general.
    • Very broad: can be a walk, a hike, or just “walking.”

  • göngutúr

    • More specifically “a walk” as an outing, similar to “a stroll / a walk (for pleasure)”.
    • Common in everyday speech: Fara í göngutúr = go for a walk.

  • kvöldganga

    • A ganga that happens in the evening; an “evening walk.”
    • More specific than ganga, focusing on the time of day.

So Kvöldgangan er góð is specifically about the evening walk, not just walking in general.

How would I say “The evening walk is very good / really good”?

You keep the structure the same and add an adverb before the adjective:

Common choices:

  • Mjög = very

    • Kvöldgangan er mjög góð.
      • The evening walk is very good.

  • Rosa / rosalega (colloquial) = really, super

    • Kvöldgangan er rosalega góð.
      • The evening walk is really good.

Notice that mjög / rosalega do not change form; they stay the same regardless of gender, case, or number of the noun. Only góð changes to agree with kvöldgangan.