Maturinn hér er dýrari.

to be

Breakdown of Maturinn hér er dýrari.

• hér: here
• maturinn: the food
• dýrari: more expensive

Questions & Answers about Maturinn hér er dýrari.

What does the ending -inn in maturinn mean?

The ending -inn is the definite article attached to the noun.

• matur = food
• maturinn = the food

In Icelandic, the is usually not a separate word; it is added to the end of the noun as a suffix. For masculine nouns in the nominative singular, one common definite ending is -inn. So Maturinn hér literally means The-food here.

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Why not just say Matur hér er dýrari without the -inn?

You could use the indefinite form matur, but the meaning and feel change slightly.

• Maturinn hér er dýrari – The food here is more expensive (the food at this place / in this area that we’re talking about).
• Matur er dýrari hér – Food is more expensive here (food in general in this place, not any particular food we see).

In a concrete situation (talking about a restaurant, a shop, or a city you’re in), Icelandic very often uses the definite form maturinn. So the given sentence with -inn is the most natural version in everyday speech.

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What gender, number, and case is maturinn here, and why?

In this sentence, maturinn is: