Questions & Answers about Íbúðin er stærri en herbergið.
Why is there no separate word for the before íbúðin and herbergið?
Icelandic usually attaches the definite article (the) to the end of the noun instead of putting a separate word before it.
- íbúð = a flat / an apartment
íbúðin = the flat / the apartment
- ending -in = feminine singular definite article in the nominative case
- herbergi = a room
- herbergið = the room
- ending -ið = neuter singular definite article in the nominative/accusative
So the sentence literally has íbúð-in (apartment-the) and herbergi-ð (room-the) instead of a separate the.
What’s the basic form (dictionary form) of íbúðin and herbergið?
The dictionary form is the indefinite nominative singular:
íbúð – feminine noun, an apartment
- definite nominative singular: íbúðin (the apartment)
herbergi – neuter noun, a room
- definite nominative singular: herbergið (the room)
When you look these words up in a dictionary, you’ll find íbúð and herbergi, not the forms with the article attached.