Vinnuslysið er alvarlegt.

The workplace accident is serious.

Breakdown of Vinnuslysið er alvarlegt.

• vera: to be
• alvarlegur: serious
• vinnuslysið: the workplace accident

Questions & Answers about Vinnuslysið er alvarlegt.

What is the basic dictionary form of vinnuslysið?

The basic form is vinnuslys, which means work accident or occupational accident.

In the sentence, it appears as vinnuslysið, which is:

• vinnuslys = the noun stem
• -ið = the suffixed definite article, meaning the

So vinnuslysið means the work accident.

This is very typical in Icelandic: instead of a separate word for the, Icelandic often adds the definite article to the end of the noun.

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Why does vinnuslysið end in -ið?

The ending -ið is the definite article attached to the noun.

So:

• vinnuslys = a work accident / work accident
• vinnuslysið = the work accident

English uses a separate word, the, but Icelandic usually puts that meaning onto the noun itself.

This sentence is specifically talking about the accident, not just any accident.

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What gender is vinnuslys, and why does that matter here?