The Suffix -laus
In English, we often use the suffix "-less" to describe lacking something, like "penniless" or "sleepless". In Icelandic, you express this by attaching the suffix -laus to a noun.
This is a highly productive suffix, meaning you will see it attached to many different words to describe lacking things or experiencing difficult situations, such as being without a job (atvinna) or money (peningar).
| My brother was unemployed last year. | Bróðir minn var atvinnulaus í fyrra. |
| The student was penniless because of the rent. | Nemandinn var peningalaus út af leigunni. |
| She was sleepless because of the baby. | Hún var svefnlaus út af barninu. |
Adjective Agreement
Because words ending in -laus are adjectives, they must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case.
In the basic dictionary form (nominative singular), the endings are:
- -laus for masculine and feminine nouns.
- -laust for neuter nouns.
Notice the difference in the endings below based on the gender of the subject:
| The situation was completely hopeless. | Staðan var alveg vonlaus. |
| The teacher's project is not hopeless, though. | Verkefni kennarans er samt ekki vonlaust. |
Common Situations and States
You will encounter -laus frequently in everyday Icelandic to express a wide variety of states. It neatly forms words that translate directly to English equivalents like "pointless" (tilgangslaus), "speechless" (orðlaus), "carefree" (áhyggjulaus), or "endless" (endalaus).
| The meeting was completely pointless. | Fundurinn var alveg tilgangslaus. |
| I saw my brother, and he was speechless. | Ég sá bróður minn og hann var orðlaus. |
| The woman was carefree on her vacation. | Konan var áhyggjulaus í fríinu sínu. |
| Work is sometimes endless. | Vinnan er stundum endalaus. |