Skálin er tóm núna.

to be

Breakdown of Skálin er tóm núna.

• núna: now
• skálin: the bowl
• tómur: empty

Questions & Answers about Skálin er tóm núna.

Why does skálin end in -in? Is that “the” in Icelandic?

Yes. -in is the definite article suffix (“the”) attached to the noun.

• skál = bowl (indefinite: “a bowl”)
• skálin = the bowl
  Icelandic usually marks definiteness by adding an ending to the noun (rather than using a separate word like English the).

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What is the base form of the noun here? Is it skál or skálin?

The dictionary (lemma) form is skál (indefinite, nominative singular).
In this sentence you see skálin, which is skál + -in (definite nominative singular).

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Why is it er and not another form of “to be”?

er is the 3rd person singular present form of að vera (“to be”).
It matches the subject skálin (“the bowl”), which is singular.
Other present forms you’ll commonly see:

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

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