Stóllinn er óþægilegur.

The chair is uncomfortable.

Breakdown of Stóllinn er óþægilegur.

• vera: to be
• stóllinn: the chair
• óþægilegur: uncomfortable

Questions & Answers about Stóllinn er óþægilegur.

Why does stóll have -inn at the end (stóllinn)?

In Icelandic the definite article is usually a suffix attached to the noun.

• stóll = an (indefinite) chair
• stóll-inn = the chair
  For a masculine noun in the nominative singular, the definite ending is commonly -inn (with some spelling adjustments depending on the noun).

How do I know stóllinn is the subject here, and what case is it in?

The subject of a normal “X is Y” sentence is in the nominative. Here, stóllinn is doing the “being,” so it’s nominative singular. Predicative adjectives (like óþægilegur) agree with that nominative subject.

Why is the verb er used, and what verb is it?

er is the present tense, 3rd person singular form of vera (to be).
You use it like English is: Stóllinn er … = “The chair is …”

Why is it er and not eru?

Because stóllinn is singular.

• er = is (3rd singular)
• eru = are (3rd plural)
  So with a plural subject you’d get Stólarnir eru … (“The chairs are …”).

Why does the adjective end in -ur (óþægilegur)?

Adjectives in Icelandic change form to match the noun they describe in gender, number, and case.
Here the noun is masculine, singular, nominative, so the adjective takes the masculine nominative singular ending: -ur.

What are the other gender forms of óþægilegur?

In the basic (dictionary) pattern for many adjectives:

• masculine: óþægilegur
• feminine: óþægileg
• neuter: óþægilegt
  So you’d say e.g. Sofan er óþægileg (feminine noun) or Sætið er óþægilegt (neuter noun).

What does the prefix ó- do in óþægilegur?

ó- is a very common negative prefix, similar to English un- / in-.
So þægilegur is the positive adjective, and óþægilegur is the negated version.

Can I also put the adjective before the noun, like “the uncomfortable chair”?

Yes, but the grammar changes. Attributive adjectives (before the noun) usually take the weak form when the noun is definite:

• Predicative (as in your sentence): Stóllinn er óþægilegur.
• Attributive: óþægilegi stóllinn (“the uncomfortable chair”)
  Notice óþægilegur → óþægilegi in that position.

What’s the basic pronunciation I should aim for (especially ó, þ, æ, and ll)?

A rough guide:

• ó is like a long “oh” (often close to /ou/)
• þ is the unvoiced “th” sound as in thin
• æ is like “eye” /ai/
• ll in many words is pronounced more like tl (so stóll is often close to “stoutl”)
  Also, Icelandic word stress is usually on the first syllable: STÓL-linn, Ó-þæ-gi-le-gur.

If I drop -inn, does the sentence still work?

Yes—then it becomes indefinite:

• Stóllinn er óþægilegur. = “The chair is …” (definite)
• Stóll er óþægilegur. = “A chair is …” (indefinite, but can sound generic)
  More natural for “a chair is …” in a specific situation is often Stóllinn (if both speakers know which chair) or adding something like Einn stóll er óþægilegur (“One chair is uncomfortable”).