Eftirrétturinn er góður.

The dessert is good.

Breakdown of Eftirrétturinn er góður.

• vera: to be
• góður: good
• eftirrétturinn: the dessert

Questions & Answers about Eftirrétturinn er góður.

Why does eftirrétturinn have such a long ending?

Because it is made up of two parts:

• eftirréttur = dessert
• -inn = the

So eftirrétturinn literally means the dessert.

In Icelandic, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of appearing as a separate word before it, unlike English the.

Why is there no separate word for the?

Icelandic usually expresses the with a suffix attached to the noun.

So:

• eftirréttur = dessert
• eftirrétturinn = the dessert

This is one of the first big differences English speakers notice. Icelandic can use a separate article in some situations, but the normal everyday way is the suffixed article.

What is the basic dictionary form of eftirrétturinn?

The dictionary form is eftirréttur.

That is the indefinite singular form, meaning dessert. When you add the definite article -inn, you get eftirrétturinn, meaning the dessert.

So if you look this word up in a dictionary, you should usually search for eftirréttur, not eftirrétturinn.

What gender is eftirréttur?

It is a masculine noun.

You can tell this partly from the form:

• indefinite singular: eftirréttur
• definite singular nominative: eftirrétturinn

The adjective góður also matches it as masculine singular nominative.

What case is eftirrétturinn here?

It is nominative singular.

That is because it is the subject of the sentence:

• Eftirrétturinn = the subject
• er = is
• góður = good

In simple sentences with to be, the subject is usually in the nominative case.

What does er mean?

Er is the present tense, third-person singular form of að vera, which means to be.

So:

• ég er = I am
• þú ert = you are
• hann/hún/það er = he/she/it is

In this sentence, er means is.

Why is the adjective góður and not some other form like góð or gott?

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

Here, eftirrétturinn is:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative

So the adjective must also be masculine singular nominative:

• góður = masculine singular nominative
• góð = feminine singular nominative
• gott = neuter singular nominative

That is why the sentence uses góður.

Why is góður in that form even though it comes after er?

Because Icelandic adjectives still agree with the noun even when they are used after to be.

In English, adjectives do not change:

• The dessert is good
• The soup is good
• The apples are good

But in Icelandic, the adjective changes form depending on what it refers to, even in this kind of sentence.

So góður is not random; it matches eftirrétturinn.

Is góður only used for moral goodness, or can it also mean tasty?

It can definitely mean more than just morally good.

In a sentence about food, góður often means something like:

• good
• nice
• tasty

So for food, Eftirrétturinn er góður naturally means the dessert tastes good, not that it is ethically virtuous.

How do you pronounce Eftirrétturinn er góður?

A rough English-friendly pronunciation is:

EHF-tir-ryeht-ur-rin er GOH-thur

A few helpful notes:

• eftir- starts with a clear ef/eft sound
• rétt has a sound somewhat like ryeht
• ð in góður is like the th in this, not thin
• the final -ur is a common Icelandic ending and does not sound exactly like English -er

You do not need perfect pronunciation immediately, but it helps to notice that Icelandic spelling is usually quite systematic.

Can I say Eftirréttur er góður?

Grammatically, that would usually mean dessert is good in a more general sense, but it sounds less natural in many ordinary contexts.

The sentence Eftirrétturinn er góður refers to a specific dessert: the dessert.

So the difference is:

• Eftirréttur er góður = dessert is good / a dessert is good, depending on context
• Eftirrétturinn er góður = the dessert is good

Can the word order change?

Yes, Icelandic word order is somewhat flexible, but Eftirrétturinn er góður is the normal, straightforward order.

It follows the basic pattern:

• subject + verb + complement

You may sometimes see different word orders for emphasis or in more complex sentences, but this version is the best one to learn first.

How would I make this sentence negative?

You add ekki, meaning not:

• Eftirrétturinn er ekki góður. = The dessert is not good.

A useful thing to notice is that ekki usually comes after the verb er in a simple sentence like this.

What would happen if the noun were feminine or neuter instead?

The adjective would change to match.

For example:

• masculine: Eftirrétturinn er góður.
• feminine: Súpan er góð. = The soup is good.
• neuter: Brauðið er gott. = The bread is good.

This is a very important Icelandic pattern: the adjective changes form depending on the noun.

Why isn’t the adjective something like góði?

Because góður is the correct form here for a predicate adjective after er.

Compare:

• góður in Eftirrétturinn er góður = The dessert is good
• góði eftirrétturinn = the good dessert

In other words:

• after to be, you use the adjective form that agrees with the noun in this predicate position
• directly before a definite noun, adjectives often take a different weak form, such as góði

So góður is exactly right in this sentence.