Borðið er óhreint eftir morgunmatinn.

to be

Breakdown of Borðið er óhreint eftir morgunmatinn.

• borðið: the table
• eftir: after
• morgunmaturinn: the breakfast

Questions & Answers about Borðið er óhreint eftir morgunmatinn.

Why does borðið end in -ið?

Because borðið means the table.

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

• borð = table
• borðið = the table

Here, borð is a neuter noun, and -ið is the definite ending for this form.

Could borðið also mean eat!?

Yes, in other contexts borðið can also be a form of the verb borða (to eat), specifically the plural/formal imperative eat!

So Icelandic learners often notice this ambiguity:

• borðið = the table
• borðið! = eat! (said to several people, or formally)

In this sentence, it clearly means the table because of the context:

• Borðið er óhreint = The table is dirty

A command like Eat is dirty would make no sense here.

Why is it óhreint and not some other form like óhreinn or óhrein?