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Questions & Answers about Vandræðin eru alvarleg.
Why is it vandræðin and not just vandræði?
The ending -in is the definite article attached to the noun, so vandræðin means the troubles / the problems / the difficulty in a definite sense.
- vandræði = trouble, difficulties, problems (indefinite)
- vandræðin = the trouble, the difficulties, the problems
In Icelandic, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like English the.
Why does the verb use eru instead of er?
Because vandræðin is grammatically plural, so the verb to be must also be plural.
- er = is (singular)
- eru = are (plural)
So:
- Vandræðin eru alvarleg. = The problems are serious.
Even if English might sometimes say the trouble is serious, Icelandic vandræði is usually treated as a plural noun.
Is vandræði always plural? It looks like English trouble, which can feel singular.