Nálin er lítil, og þráðurinn er svo dökkur að ég sé hann varla.

The needle is small, and the thread is so dark that I can hardly see it.

Breakdown of Nálin er lítil, og þráðurinn er svo dökkur að ég sé hann varla.

• ég: I
• vera: to be
• lítill: small
• sjá: to see

Questions & Answers about Nálin er lítil, og þráðurinn er svo dökkur að ég sé hann varla.

Why do nálin and þráðurinn end differently, and what do those endings mean?

Both words have the definite article attached to the end, so they mean the needle and the thread.

• nál = needle

• nálin = the needle

• þráður = thread
• þráðurinn = the thread

Icelandic usually adds the as a suffix instead of using a separate word. The exact ending changes depending on the noun’s gender, number, and case. Here:

• -in fits nál as a feminine singular nominative form
• -inn fits þráður as a masculine singular nominative form

Why is it lítil but dökkur? Why don’t both adjectives look the same?