Lyktin er sterk í eldhúsinu.

The smell is strong in the kitchen.

Breakdown of Lyktin er sterk í eldhúsinu.

• vera: to be
• í: in
• sterkur: strong
• eldhúsið: the kitchen
• lyktin: the smell

Questions & Answers about Lyktin er sterk í eldhúsinu.

Why does lykt become lyktin here?

Lyktin is lykt (smell) with the definite article attached as a suffix: -in.

• lykt = a smell / smell (in general)
• lyktin = the smell (a specific, identifiable smell)

This is how Icelandic usually marks “the” (as an ending), rather than using a separate word like the.

What case is lyktin, and why?

Lyktin is nominative singular because it’s the subject of the sentence (the thing being described). The verb er (is) links the subject to a description (sterk).

Why is the adjective sterk and not sterkt or sterkur?

Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

• lykt is feminine
• lyktin is singular
• it’s nominative (subject)

So the adjective takes the feminine nominative singular form: sterk.
(Compare: ilmurinn er sterkur “the scent is strong” — masculine; lyktin er sterk — feminine.)

What’s the role of er here, and how do I conjugate it?

Er is the present tense of að vera (to be) for 3rd person singular (he/she/it). Basic present tense forms:

• ég er (I am)
• þú ert (you are)
• hann/hún/það er (he/she/it is)
• við erum (we are)
• þið eruð (you all are)
• þeir/þær/þau eru (they are)

Here it matches lyktin (3rd person singular).

Why does eldhúsinu end in -inu?

Because it’s definite and in the dative singular.

• Base noun: eldhús (kitchen) — neuter
• Definite nominative: eldhúsið (the kitchen)
• With í meaning location (“in”), it takes dative: í eldhúsinu (in the kitchen)

So -inu signals “in + the kitchen” (dative + definite).

Why does í cause the dative here?

Many Icelandic prepositions govern a specific case, and some change case depending on meaning. Í is one of those:

• í + dative = location/state (in, inside): í eldhúsinu “in the kitchen”
• í + accusative = motion/into (into): í eldhúsið “into the kitchen”

This sentence describes where the smell is (location), so it uses dative.

Is the word order fixed? Could I move í eldhúsinu?

You can often move adverbials (like location phrases) for emphasis, though the neutral version is what you have. Common alternatives:

• Lyktin er sterk í eldhúsinu. (neutral)
• Í eldhúsinu er lyktin sterk. (emphasizes “in the kitchen”)
  Both are grammatical; the second feels a bit more “scene-setting.”

Does lykt mean a good smell or a bad smell?

Lykt is neutral in form but often leans negative in everyday use (like “odor/smell”), depending on context. For a more positively-tinged word, Icelandic often uses ilmur (fragrance/scent).
So Lyktin er sterk... can easily imply an unpleasant strong smell, but it isn’t automatically “bad” without context.

Could Icelandic also say “It smells (strong) in the kitchen” instead of “The smell is strong”?

Yes. A very common alternative uses the verb að lykta (to smell):

• Það lyktar sterkt í eldhúsinu. = “It smells strongly in the kitchen.”
  This is closer to English It smells.... Your sentence (Lyktin er sterk...) is also natural, just slightly more noun-focused (“the smell”).

How do I pronounce Lyktin er sterk í eldhúsinu (roughly)?

A rough guide (details vary by speaker):

• Lyktin: the kt cluster is pronounced with a k sound plus a t; the y is like a front rounded vowel (similar to German ü).
• er: short “eh”-like sound.
• sterk: like “sterrk” with a rolled/trilled or tapped r in many accents.
• í: long “ee” sound.
• eldhúsinu: stress is on the first syllable (ELD-); hú has a long ú (like “oo”).

If you want, tell me your accent (e.g., General American / RP) and I can give a more targeted approximation.