Welcome to the sensory deprivation tank! Today we are exploring the unique sensations of floating in saltwater, experiencing weightlessness, and—hopefully—achieving total relaxation.
Emphasizing the Negative: Not At All
To strongly emphasize that a quality is completely absent, Icelandic uses the adverb neitt (at all).
When you want to say "not at all", place ekki neitt directly before the adjective or adverb you are describing. Because neitt is functioning as a degree adverb here, it is indeclinable—its form never changes, regardless of the gender or number of the noun being described.
| The float tank is soundproof and it is not loud at all in there. | Flottankurinn er hljóðeinangraður og það er ekki neitt hávært þar inni. |
Asking Questions: At All?
You can also use neitt in questions without a negative word. When placed before an adjective in a question, it simply asks if that quality exists "at all" or "to any degree".
| Is the room soundproof at all or do you hear the noise through the wall? | Er herbergið neitt hljóðeinangrað eða heyrir þú hávaðann í gegnum vegginn? |
Floating and Feeling
Whether the lack of sensory input brings you peace or makes you a bit nervous, neitt is incredibly useful for describing the exact degree of your experience. Notice in the examples below how the adjectives change to match their subjects, but neitt remains exactly the same.
| Many fear the claustrophobia, but it is not bad at all. | Margir hræðast innilokunarkenndina en hún er ekki neitt slæm. |
| I am used to floating in the saltwater and I am not cold at all. | Ég er vanur að fljóta í saltvatninu og mér er ekki neitt kalt. |
| Are you anxious at all in the float tank? No, I am completely relaxed. | Ertu neitt kvíðinn í flottankinum? Nei, ég er alveg afslappaður. |
| The stimulus is great so the relaxation is not at all good. | Áreitið er mikið svo slökunin er ekki neitt góð. |