Skjár tölvunnar er nýr.

The computer screen is new.

Breakdown of Skjár tölvunnar er nýr.

• vera: to be
• skjár: the screen
• tölva: the computer
• nýr: new

Questions & Answers about Skjár tölvunnar er nýr.

Why is tölvunnar used instead of tölva?

Because tölvunnar is the genitive singular definite form of tölva.

Icelandic often uses the genitive case to show possession or an of relationship.

• tölva = computer
• tölvunnar = of the computer

So skjár tölvunnar is literally screen of the computer.

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What is the dictionary form of tölvunnar?

The dictionary form is tölva.

A learner will usually find nouns listed in the nominative singular in dictionaries, so:

• tölva = dictionary form
• tölvunnar = a declined form used in this sentence

This is very common in Icelandic: the form you see in a sentence is often not the form you look up.

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Why does the possessor come after the noun in skjár tölvunnar?

Because that is the normal Icelandic pattern with a genitive noun phrase.

Icelandic usually puts the main noun first and the possessor after it:

• skjár tölvunnar = the computer's screen
• literally: screen of the computer

English often prefers computer's screen, but Icelandic prefers a structure closer to screen of the computer.

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Why is there no apostrophe, like in English computer's?

Because Icelandic does not use an apostrophe for this kind of possession.

Instead, it changes the form of the noun by putting it into the genitive case:

• English: computer's
• Icelandic: tölvunnar

So the possession is shown by the ending, not by punctuation.

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Why is skjár not skjárinn if the whole phrase is definite?

This is a very common learner question.

In Icelandic, when a noun is followed by a genitive phrase like tölvunnar, the whole phrase can already be understood as definite, even if the first noun does not have the article ending.

So:

• skjár tölvunnar can naturally be understood as the computer's screen

In other words, the phrase is definite in meaning even though the head noun is not marked with -inn here.

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What case is skjár, and why?

Skjár is in the nominative singular.

That is because it is the subject of the sentence. The sentence is saying something about the screen, so skjár is the thing that is new.

Also, skjár is the dictionary form of the noun.

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Why is the adjective nýr and not ný, nýtt, or some other form?

Because Icelandic adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and usually case.

Here, skjár is:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative

So the adjective must match that, giving:

• nýr = masculine singular nominative

Compare:

• Tölvan er ný. = feminine
• Borðið er nýtt. = neuter

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Why is nýr at the end of the sentence?

Because it is a predicate adjective after the verb er.

The structure is:

• Skjár tölvunnar = subject
• er = is
• nýr = new

So this works like English is new. The adjective comes after the verb because it is not directly attached before the noun; it is part of the predicate.

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What exactly is er?

Er is the 3rd person singular present tense of vera (to be).

So it is the form used with a singular subject such as skjár.

A few examples:

• Skjárinn er nýr.
• Tölvan er gömul.
• Borðið er stórt.

In all of these, er means is.

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How do I know that skjár is masculine?

You usually learn noun gender together with the noun itself, because gender is very important in Icelandic.

The noun skjár is masculine, and that affects:

• adjective forms: nýr
• article forms: skjárinn
• other agreement patterns later on

Unfortunately, gender is often something you simply have to memorize with each noun, though some endings can give hints.

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How might a learner pronounce skjár tölvunnar er nýr?

A rough learner-friendly guide:

• skjár: the j sounds like English y, and á is like ow in now
• tölvunnar: stress on the first syllable, TÖL-
• nýr: roughly like neer in modern Icelandic pronunciation

A useful general rule: Icelandic stress is usually on the first syllable of the word.