Gamla rafhlaðan var gagnslaus, svo síminn slokknaði strax aftur.

to be

Breakdown of Gamla rafhlaðan var gagnslaus, svo síminn slokknaði strax aftur.

• aftur: again
• gamall: old
• svo: so

Questions & Answers about Gamla rafhlaðan var gagnslaus, svo síminn slokknaði strax aftur.

Why is it gamla rafhlaðan and not gömul rafhlaða?

Because gamla rafhlaðan means the old battery, not just an old battery.

Two things are happening:

• rafhlaðan is the definite form: the battery
• the adjective gamall (old) has to agree with the noun and takes the weak form when the noun is definite

So:

• gömul rafhlaða = an old battery
• gamla rafhlaðan = the old battery

This is a very common pattern in Icelandic:

• gamall maður = an old man
• gamli maðurinn = the old man

Why does rafhlaðan end in -an?

That ending is the definite article attached to the noun.

In Icelandic, the is usually not a separate word. Instead, it is added to the end of the noun.

So:

• rafhlaða = battery
• rafhlaðan = the battery

Likewise:

• sími = phone
• síminn = the phone

This attached article is one of the first big differences English speakers notice in Icelandic.

Why is it gagnslaus and not a feminine-looking form like gagnslausa?