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Snjallsíminn minn er nýjastur.

Snjallsíminn minn er nýjastur.
My smartphone is the newest.

Breakdown of Snjallsíminn minn er nýjastur.

vera
to be
minn
my
snjallsíminn
the smartphone
nýjastur
newest
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Questions & Answers about Snjallsíminn minn er nýjastur.

What does the -inn on snjallsíminn mean?

The ending -inn is the Icelandic definite article attached to the noun.

  • snjallsími = smartphone (indefinite: a smartphone)
  • snjallsíminn = the smartphone
    Icelandic usually expresses the by adding an ending to the noun rather than using a separate word like English the.
Why can Icelandic say snjallsíminn minn (literally the smartphone my)?

In Icelandic, a possessive like minn commonly comes after the noun, and it can co-occur with the definite article:

  • snjallsíminn minn = my smartphone (very common/neutral) English normally doesn’t allow the my smartphone, but Icelandic does: the definiteness is marked on the noun, and possession is added separately.
What grammatical case are snjallsíminn and minn in here?

They are in the nominative case because they form the subject of the sentence:

  • Snjallsíminn minn (subject) er (is) nýjastur (newest)
Why is minn the form used (and not mín, mitt, etc.)?

Because snjallsími is a masculine noun, singular, nominative. The possessive must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case:

  • masculine: minn
  • feminine: mín
  • neuter: mitt
Why does the sentence use nýjastur and not some other ending?

nýjastur agrees with the subject (snjallsíminn) in gender, number, and case:

  • masculine singular nominative predicate adjective → nýjastur
    For comparison, the superlative forms are:
  • feminine: nýjust
  • neuter: nýjast
  • plural (masc.): nýjastir, etc.
How is nýjastur formed (what’s the base adjective)?

The base adjective is nýr = new.
Typical comparison:

  • positive: nýr (new)
  • comparative: nýrri (newer)
  • superlative: nýjastur (newest)
Why isn’t it Snjallsíminn minn er nýjasti?

Because Icelandic usually uses the strong form of the adjective in predicate position (after er, is), even when the subject is definite:

  • Bíllinn er nýr. = The car is new. (strong)
  • Snjallsíminn minn er nýjastur. = My smartphone is the newest. (strong)

But weak forms like nýjasti are typical when the adjective is attributive (directly before a definite noun):

  • nýjasti snjallsíminn = the newest smartphone
Can the possessive go before the noun, like Minn snjallsími?

Yes, but it’s less neutral and often sounds more emphatic/contrastive:

  • Snjallsíminn minn = neutral: my smartphone
  • Minn snjallsími = more like: my smartphone (as opposed to yours / someone else’s)
Could you drop the definite article and say Snjallsími minn er nýjastur?

Yes, that’s also possible. Both occur:

  • Snjallsíminn minn often feels like a more specific/identified item (my particular phone)
  • Snjallsími minn can feel slightly more general, but still means my smartphone
    In everyday usage, both can be heard; the version with -inn is very common.
How is Snjallsíminn pronounced, roughly?

A helpful rough guide (varies by speaker) is:

  • snjall- ≈ snyatl (the nj is a palatal sound, like ny in canyon for many learners)
  • -sí- has a long í sound (like ee): see
  • -minn ends with a double n sound: minn
    Also, Icelandic stress is generally on the first syllable: SNJALL-sí-minn.