Word
Handritið er gott.
Meaning
The script is good.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
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Questions & Answers about Handritið er gott.
Why does handrit become handritið?
Because Icelandic usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like the.
- handrit = manuscript
- handritið = the manuscript
The ending -ið here is the definite article for a neuter singular noun in the nominative.
How do I know that handrit is neuter?
You usually learn the gender as part of the noun. In dictionaries, Icelandic nouns are normally marked as:
- m. = masculine
- f. = feminine
- n. = neuter
Handrit is a neuter noun, and that affects:
- the form of the definite article: handritið
- the form of the adjective: gott
So the gender of the noun controls agreement in the sentence.
Why is it gott and not góður or góð?