Spilið er blátt.

to be

Breakdown of Spilið er blátt.

• blátt: blue
• spilið: the playing card

Questions & Answers about Spilið er blátt.

Why is spilið one word instead of spil ið?

Because Icelandic usually attaches the definite article to the end of the noun.

• spil = a game / a card-related item, depending on context
• -ið = the for a neuter singular noun in this form

So spilið means the game or the card/item, depending on the meaning you were given.

What gender is spil?

Spil is neuter.

You can see that in this sentence because:

• the definite ending is -ið
• the adjective appears as blátt, which is the neuter singular form of blár (blue)

In Icelandic, nouns have grammatical gender, and adjectives have to match that gender.

Why is the adjective blátt and not blár or blá?

Because Icelandic adjectives must agree with the noun they describe.

The basic forms are:

• masculine: blár
• feminine: blá
• neuter: blátt

Since spilið is neuter singular, the adjective also has to be neuter singular, so you get blátt.