The Exclamative Determiner "Hvílíkur"
To express astonishment or emphasize a strong degree before a noun—such as saying "What a...!" or "Such...!"—Icelandic uses the determiner hvílíkur.
Because it typically accompanies an indefinite noun, hvílíkur takes the strong adjective declension. It must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. Since exclamations often stand alone as their own phrases, you will most frequently use the nominative case.
Here are the nominative forms of hvílíkur:
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | hvílíkur | hvílík | hvílíkt |
| Plural | hvílíkir | hvílíkar | hvílík |
| what a / such a | hvílíkur |
Notice how the determiner's form changes below depending on the gender and number of the noun: masculine plural (flugeldar), neuter singular (sjónarspil), and feminine singular (litadýrð).
| What fireworks! | Hvílíkir flugeldar! |
| What a spectacle! | Hvílíkt sjónarspil! |
| What colorful splendor in the sky! | Hvílík litadýrð á himninum! |
Describing the Spectacle
To describe a spectacular event like a fireworks display, you can pair exclamations with descriptive clauses, strong adjectives like stórbrotinn (magnificent), and vivid verbs like glitra (to sparkle) or springa (to explode).
| It is this magnificent rocket that sparkles so beautifully. | Það er þessi stórbrotna raketta sem glitrar svona fallega. |
| What rockets are exploding up there! | Hvílíkar rakettur sem springa þarna uppi! |
Sparks and Smoke
You can also use hvílíkur to marvel at the atmosphere or the aftermath of the display, such as the sparks (neistar) and the smoke (reykur). Unchanging adjectives like töfrandi (magical) are perfect for capturing the mood.
| What sparks! They are absolutely magical. | Hvílíkir neistar! Þeir eru alveg töfrandi. |
| What a lot of smoke after this spectacle! | Hvílíkur reykur eftir þetta sjónarspil! |