Þessi skýring er alltof stutt.

Þessi means this.

In this sentence, it points to skýring (explanation), so þessi skýring = this explanation.

A useful thing to know is that þessi changes depending on gender, number, and case. Here it is matching skýring, which is a feminine singular nominative noun.

So:

• þessi skýring = this explanation
• þessi is not a random fixed form; it agrees with the noun it belongs to

Because skýring is a feminine noun.

In Icelandic, this has different forms depending on the gender of the noun:

• þessi for many masculine/feminine nominative singular uses
• þetta for neuter singular nominative

Since skýring is feminine, you use þessi, not þetta.

So:

• þessi skýring = correct
• þetta skýring = incorrect

Skýring is the nominative singular form of the noun skýring, meaning explanation.

In this sentence, it is the subject:

• Þessi skýring = the subject
• er alltof stutt = what is being said about the subject

That is why the noun appears in the nominative.

Er means is.

It is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb að vera (to be).

So:

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

In Þessi skýring er alltof stutt, er links the subject to the description, just like English is.

Alltof means far too, much too, or simply too ... by far.

So:

• stutt = short
• of stutt = too short
• alltof stutt = much too short / far too short

Compare:

• mjög stutt = very short
• of stutt = too short
• alltof stutt = much too short

So alltof makes the complaint stronger than plain of.

Because the adjective has to agree with skýring.

Here, skýring is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

The adjective stuttur (short) changes form to match that. The correct form here is stutt.

So the structure is:

• þessi skýring = feminine singular nominative
• stutt = adjective agreeing with that noun

Icelandic adjectives change a lot more than English adjectives, so this kind of agreement is very important.

Because Icelandic adjective forms do not always look obviously masculine, feminine, or neuter to an English learner.

The dictionary form is usually the masculine singular nominative, for example:

• stuttur = short

But in actual sentences, it changes. One common set is:

• masculine: stuttur
• feminine: stutt
• neuter: stutt

So here the feminine form happens to be stutt, which looks the same as the neuter form in this case.

That is normal in Icelandic: different genders sometimes share the same visible form.

Yes, in this sentence it is very similar to English:

• Þessi skýring = This explanation
• er = is
• alltof stutt = far too short

So the pattern is:

subject + verb + adjective phrase

That said, Icelandic word order can be more flexible than English in many contexts, but this sentence is straightforward and natural.

The letter þ is pronounced like the th in English thin, not like the th in this.

So:

• þessi begins with that voiceless th sound

A rough pronunciation guide:

• þessi ≈ THESS-i
• skýring ≈ SKEER-ing
• er ≈ eh(r)
• alltof ≈ AHL-tove or AHL-tohf depending on accent
• stutt ≈ stuht

This is only approximate, but the most important point is:

• þ = th as in thin
• ð = usually like th in this or a softer related sound

More or less, yes:

• Þessi = this
• skýring = explanation
• er = is
• alltof = far too / much too
• stutt = short

So a close translation is:

This explanation is far too short.

A very literal version would be:

This explanation is much-too short.

That sounds odd in English, but it helps show how the Icelandic parts fit together.

Yes, that is grammatically possible, and it means This explanation is too short.

The difference is one of strength:

• of stutt = too short
• alltof stutt = much too short / far too short

So alltof adds extra emphasis.

Its main meaning is explanation, but depending on context it can also be understood as something like:

• clarification
• account
• interpretation (in some contexts)

In this sentence, explanation is the most natural meaning.

Because Icelandic does not use articles in the same way English does.

Here, þessi already makes the noun specific:

• þessi skýring = this explanation

So you do not need a separate word for the.

Also, Icelandic has no separate indefinite article like English a/an. A bare noun can often cover that idea depending on context.

So:

• skýring could mean an explanation or just explanation depending on context
• þessi skýring clearly means this explanation

This sentence is a great example of several basic Icelandic patterns:

1. Demonstrative + noun agreement

   • þessi skýring

2. The verb að vera in the present

   • er

3. An intensifier

   • alltof

4. Adjective agreement with the subject

   • stutt

5. A very common sentence pattern:

   • [subject] + er + [adjective]

So even though the sentence is short, it teaches some very important Icelandic grammar.