Questions & Answers about Þetta er ríkt land.
What does þetta mean here?
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.
Why is it er and not something closer to English is?
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.
Why is it ríkt and not ríkur or rík?
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.