Hann er hljóðlátur í bókasafninu.

to be

Breakdown of Hann er hljóðlátur í bókasafninu.

• hann: he
• í: in
• bókasafnið: the library

Questions & Answers about Hann er hljóðlátur í bókasafninu.

Why does hljóðlátur end in -ur? I thought the basic word was hljóðlát.

The base form you see in dictionaries is hljóðlátur (quiet), but adjectives change their ending to agree with the noun or pronoun:

• hljóðlátur – masculine, nominative singular
• hljóðlát – feminine, nominative singular
• hljóðlátt – neuter, nominative singular

In the sentence Hann er hljóðlátur í bókasafninu, the subject is Hann (he), which is masculine and in the nominative case, so the adjective also has to be masculine nominative: hljóðlátur.

If the person was a woman, would the sentence change?

Yes, the pronoun and the adjective would both change:

• Hann er hljóðlátur í bókasafninu. – He is quiet in the library.
• Hún er hljóðlát í bókasafninu. – She is quiet in the library.

Here Hún is feminine, so the adjective must also be feminine: hljóðlát (no -ur). The rest of the sentence stays the same.

How would I say They are quiet in the library?

You need plural pronouns and plural adjective forms:

• Masculine group (all or mostly men):
  Þeir eru hljóðlátir í bókasafninu.
• Feminine group (all women):
  Þær eru hljóðlátar í bókasafninu.
• Neuter / mixed or unspecified group: