Þetta er ríkt land.

Here þetta means this.

It is the neuter singular form of the demonstrative þessi. Icelandic demonstratives change form to match the gender, number, and case of the noun they refer to.

In this sentence, þetta matches land, which is a neuter singular noun.

Er is the present tense form of the verb vera, which means to be.

So:

• ég er = I am
• þú ert = you are
• hann/hún/það er = he/she/it is

In Þetta er ríkt land, er simply means is.

Because ríkt has to agree with land.

In Icelandic, adjectives change form to match the noun’s:

• gender
• number
• case

Land is neuter singular, so the adjective must also be neuter singular:

• ríkur = masculine
• rík = feminine
• ríkt = neuter

Since land is neuter, ríkt is the correct form.

Land is a neuter noun.

One clue is the adjective form used with it: ríkt is neuter, so that tells you the noun is neuter too.

You often just have to learn a noun’s gender as part of the word, but over time you will notice patterns. Many Icelandic neuter nouns have no ending or end in certain common neuter patterns, and land is one of them.

Because Icelandic does not have an independent indefinite article like English a/an.

So:

• ríkt land = a rich country / a rich land

The noun by itself can be indefinite. If Icelandic wants to say the country, it usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun:

• land = country / a country
• landið = the country

It is in the nominative singular.

After the verb vera (to be), the complement is normally in the nominative in sentences like this. So both the subject idea and the description of what it is stay in the nominative:

• Þetta er ríkt land.

Because land is nominative singular neuter, the adjective appears as ríkt.

Not always.

Land can mean:

• land
• country

In this sentence, it is very naturally understood as country, so Þetta er ríkt land usually means This is a rich country.

But depending on context, land can also refer more literally to land or territory.

The letter Þ/þ is pronounced like the th in think, not like the th in this.

So Þetta begins with that voiceless th sound.

A rough guide:

• Þetta ≈ THET-ta
• er ≈ eh(r)
• ríkt ≈ reekt
• land ≈ lahnt

A few helpful points:

• þ = th as in think
• í is a long ee-like sound
• Icelandic r is usually trilled or tapped more than in English

Because Þetta is the subject-like element here: This is ...

The structure is:

• Þetta = this
• er = is
• ríkt land = a rich country

So the sentence follows the same basic pattern as English:

• This is a rich country.

Starting with land would change the structure and meaning.

Yes. Icelandic usually places adjectives before the noun, just like English often does.

So:

• ríkt land = rich country
• stórt hús = big house
• gott veður = good weather

The important difference from English is that the adjective changes form to agree with the noun.

Yes.

For example:

• þetta land = this country

That is slightly different from the sentence Þetta er ríkt land.

Compare:

• Þetta land er ríkt. = This country is rich.
• Þetta er ríkt land. = This is a rich country.

So þetta can either stand on its own as this, or come before a noun as this + noun, depending on the sentence.

Because Icelandic adjectives have strong and weak forms.

In a phrase like ríkt land, where the noun is indefinite and there is no definite article, the adjective usually takes the strong form.

So:

• ríkt land = a rich country → strong adjective form

If the noun were definite, the adjective would normally change to a weak form:

• ríka landið = the rich country

This is an important pattern in Icelandic grammar.