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?