Hálsbólgan er verri í dag, svo ég drekk heitt te.

The sore throat is worse today, so I drink hot tea.

Breakdown of Hálsbólgan er verri í dag, svo ég drekk heitt te.

• ég: I
• vera: to be
• drekka: to drink
• heitt: hot

Questions & Answers about Hálsbólgan er verri í dag, svo ég drekk heitt te.

Why is it hálsbólgan instead of just hálsbólga?

Hálsbólga is the basic dictionary form meaning sore throat.
Hálsbólgan means the sore throat.

In Icelandic, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like English the. So this sentence uses the definite form.

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Is hálsbólga a compound word?

Yes. It is made from:

• háls = throat
• bólga = inflammation / swelling

So the word is literally something like throat-inflammation. Icelandic uses compounds very often, and they work much like German compounds. In the definite form, the ending is added to the whole compound: hálsbólgan.

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Why isn’t there a word for my, like hálsbólgan mín?

Icelandic often leaves out possessives when the meaning is obvious from context, especially with things closely connected to the speaker, such as body-related problems or personal conditions.

So Hálsbólgan er verri í dag can naturally mean My sore throat is worse today if that is clear from the situation.

If you say hálsbólgan mín, it sounds more explicit and can add emphasis or contrast.

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Why is it verri and not verra?