In Icelandic, the demonstrative pronoun for "this" changes to match the gender of the noun it points to.
| Gender | "This" (Nominative) |
|---|---|
| Masculine | þessi |
| Feminine | þessi |
| Neuter | þetta |
When using "this" directly in front of a noun, the noun must be in its indefinite form. Drop the attached "the" ending (e.g., spegillinn becomes þessi spegill).
Þessi (Masculine and Feminine)
Both masculine and feminine nouns use the form þessi.
| This mirror is very old. | Þessi spegill er mjög gamall. |
| This camera is new. | Þessi myndavél er ný. |
Þetta (Neuter)
Neuter nouns use the form þetta.
| This light is very bright. | Þetta ljós er mjög bjart. |
When combining sentences, match the form of "this" to each individual noun.
| This movie is boring but this video is funny. | Þessi bíómynd er leiðinleg en þetta myndband er fyndið. |
Pointing things out: "Þetta er..."
When using "this" as a standalone subject to introduce an object ("This is a..."), always use the neuter þetta, regardless of the noun's actual gender.
| This is my knife. | Þetta er hnífurinn minn. |
Even though hnífur (knife) is masculine, the sentence begins with þetta because "this" acts as a general introductory subject.
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