Questions & Answers about Þolinmæði er mikilvæg í góðu sambandi.
Why is there no word for “a” in this Icelandic sentence?
Icelandic has no separate word for the indefinite article (“a / an” in English).
So:
- Þolinmæði = patience or a patience (context decides)
- í góðu sambandi = in a good relationship (or just in good relationship(s))
If you want a definite article (“the”), Icelandic usually adds it as an ending on the noun (and often affects the adjective too), e.g.:
- gott samband – a good relationship / good relationship
- góða sambandið – the good relationship
What gender and case is þolinmæði, and why?
Þolinmæði is a feminine noun and here it is in the nominative singular.
- It is the subject of the sentence (patience), so it must be in nominative case.
- The nominative singular is the dictionary form; that’s why it appears simply as þolinmæði.
For a beginner, it’s enough to remember:
- þolinmæði (f.) = patience
- In this sentence it’s the subject → nominative singular.
Why is the adjective mikilvæg in that exact form?