To moderate adjectives and adverbs in Icelandic, add the prefix all-, meaning "fairly" or "quite". This is perfect for offering polite but critical reviews.
The Prefix "all-" with Adjectives
Attach all- directly to the beginning of the adjective. The prefix never changes, but the adjective itself still declines as usual to match the noun's gender, number, and case.
For example, when describing a neuter noun like uppistandið (the stand-up comedy) or andrúmsloftið (the atmosphere), the adjective takes its neuter form:
| The stand-up comedy is quite long. | Uppistandið er alllangt. |
| Is the atmosphere fairly good? | Er andrúmsloftið allgott? |
When describing plural nouns, the adjective takes the corresponding plural ending:
| Some jokes are quite awkward. | Nokkrir brandarar eru allvandræðalegir. |
| Quite a few jokes are fairly good. | Allmargir brandarar eru allgóðir. |
Using "all-" with Adverbs
You can also use all- to moderate adverbs. Since adverbs generally do not decline, simply attach the prefix and use the word directly:
| We do this fairly well. | Við gerum þetta allvel. |
| The stand-up comedian speaks fairly well. | Uppistandarinn talar allvel. |
Giving a Mixed Review
By combining these moderated adjectives and adverbs, you can craft perfectly balanced critiques of an amateur comedy night:
| The stand-up comedy is quite funny but also quite long. | Uppistandið er allfyndið en líka alllangt. |
| Since the atmosphere is quite awkward, we are going home. | Þar sem andrúmsloftið er allvandræðalegt förum við heim. |
