Questions & Answers about Staðan er skýr núna.
Staðan is the definite form of the noun staða (feminine), meaning the situation/position.
- staða = a situation/position (indefinite)
- staðan = the situation/position (definite)
In Icelandic, everyday statements often prefer the definite form when you’re talking about a specific, known situation.
That -n is part of the definite article suffix. Icelandic usually attaches the to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.
For a feminine noun like staða, the nominative singular definite ending is typically -in, but here it appears as -an because the base form is staða → staðan (a common pattern for some feminine nouns ending in -a).
This is a very typical Icelandic copula sentence structure:
Subject + er (is) + adjective + time adverb
So: Staðan (subject) + er + skýr + núna.
You can also move núna earlier for emphasis (see below), but this order is perfectly natural.
Yes, both are possible, with slightly different emphasis:
- Staðan er skýr núna. = neutral, common
- Staðan er núna skýr. = a bit more emphasis on now (often fine, slightly less neutral)
- Núna er staðan skýr. = strong focus on now; also triggers the common Icelandic pattern where an adverb is placed first
Adjectives in Icelandic agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.
Staða is feminine singular nominative, so the adjective must also be feminine singular nominative: skýr.
- masculine: skýr
- feminine: skýr
- neuter: skýrt
So skýrt would be used with a neuter noun (e.g., málið er skýrt = the matter is clear).
It’s nominative, because it’s the subject of the sentence. In a basic X er Y sentence, the subject is nominative, and the adjective typically matches it in case.
Er is the present tense of að vera (to be), meaning is. It does change:
- ég er = I am
- þú ert = you are
- hann/hún/það er = he/she/it is
- við erum = we are
- þið eruð = you (plural) are
- þeir/þær/þau eru = they are
Both are possible depending on context. In everyday Icelandic, staðan very often means the situation/status (like the current state of affairs), not just a physical position or a job position.
A few key points for English speakers:
- ð in staðan is like the th in this (voiced)
- á is like ow in now (roughly)
- ý in skýr is a long ee-like sound with rounded lips (Icelandic ý)
- ú in núna is like a long oo (but forward/rounded in Icelandic)
Stress is usually on the first syllable: STÁ-ðan, SKÝR, NÚ-na.
Yes. Staðan er skýr. is a complete sentence: The situation is clear.
Adding núna specifically contrasts with earlier uncertainty: it implies it wasn’t clear before, but it is now.
Often:
- skýr = clear in the sense of explicit, well-defined, unambiguous
- ljós = clear in the sense of obvious, evident
So staðan er skýr suggests the situation has become well-defined/settled, while staðan er ljós would lean toward it’s obvious what’s going on.