Sængin er hlý, en lakið er enn kalt.

Breakdown of Sængin er hlý, en lakið er enn kalt.

vera
to be
kaldur
cold
en
but
hlýr
warm
enn
still
sængin
the duvet
lakið
the sheet

Questions & Answers about Sængin er hlý, en lakið er enn kalt.

What is the difference between en and enn?

They are two different words:

  • en = but
  • enn = still, yet, or sometimes even depending on context

So in this sentence:

  • Sængin er hlý = the duvet/blanket is warm
  • en = but
  • lakið er enn kalt = the sheet is still cold

The extra n matters a lot.

Why is there no separate word for the in this sentence?

Because Icelandic often puts the definite article directly onto the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.

Here:

  • sængin = sæng
    • -in = the duvet/blanket
  • lakið = lak
    • -ið = the sheet

So English the is built into the noun.

Why does one noun end in -in and the other in -ið?

Because the nouns have different grammatical genders.

  • sæng is feminine
  • lak is neuter

In the nominative singular definite form, the article ending changes depending on gender:

  • feminine often uses -in
  • neuter often uses -ið

So:

  • sængsængin
  • laklakið

That i in lakið is a normal linking vowel in the definite form.

Why is it hlý for sængin, but kalt for lakið?

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

Here both nouns are singular and nominative, but:

  • sængin is feminine, so the adjective is hlý
  • lakið is neuter, so the adjective is kalt

So the adjective changes form to match the noun it describes.

Why is it not hlýja or kalda, since the nouns are definite?

Because these are predicate adjectives: they come after the verb vera = to be.

In Icelandic, adjectives used after vera usually appear in the regular agreeing form, not the weak definite form you often see before a definite noun.

So:

  • sængin er hlý = the duvet is warm
  • lakið er kalt = the sheet is cold

But when the adjective comes directly before a definite noun, weak forms are common:

  • kalda lakið = the cold sheet

So the sentence uses predicate adjective forms, not attributive weak forms.

What does er mean, and why is it used twice?

Er is the 3rd person singular present form of vera = to be.

So:

  • sængin er hlý = the duvet is warm
  • lakið er enn kalt = the sheet is still cold

It appears twice because there are two clauses joined by en:

  • clause 1: Sængin er hlý
  • clause 2: lakið er enn kalt

Each clause needs its own finite verb.

What case are the nouns and adjectives in here?

They are in the nominative singular.

Why?

  • sængin and lakið are the subjects of their clauses
  • after vera, the predicate adjective normally agrees with the subject

So:

  • sængin → nominative singular feminine
  • hlý → nominative singular feminine
  • lakið → nominative singular neuter
  • kalt → nominative singular neuter
Why is enn placed before kalt?

Because enn is an adverb modifying the adjective phrase, and in a neutral Icelandic sentence it normally comes after the verb and before the adjective.

So:

  • lakið er enn kalt = the sheet is still cold

This is the most natural basic order.
A useful pattern to remember is:

  • subject + verb + adverb + adjective

Here that gives:

  • lakið
    • er
      • enn
        • kalt
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