Byrjunin er alltaf erfið.

The beginning is always difficult.

Breakdown of Byrjunin er alltaf erfið.

• vera: to be
• alltaf: always
• erfiður: difficult
• byrjunin: the beginning

Questions & Answers about Byrjunin er alltaf erfið.

Why does Byrjunin end in -in?

In Icelandic, the definite article the is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of standing as a separate word.

• byrjun = beginning
• byrjunin = the beginning

So -in here is the suffixed definite article.

For this feminine noun, the nominative singular definite form is byrjunin.

What gender is byrjun, and why does that matter?

Byrjun is a feminine noun. That matters because adjectives in Icelandic must agree with the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

So in this sentence:

• Byrjunin = feminine singular
• therefore erfið must also be feminine singular

That is why you get erfið, not erfiður or erfitt.

Why is it erfið and not erfiður or erfitt?