Questions & Answers about Hádegið er klukkan tólf.
Why is there a "the" attached to "hádegið" if the English translation is just "Noon"?
In Icelandic, parts of the day and general concepts often take the definite ending when they are the subject of a sentence. The word hádegi is a neuter noun, so it takes the -ið ending here, making it literally "the noon."
What are the root words inside "hádegið"?
It is a compound word made from hár (high) and dagur (day). When combined to mean "noon," it literally translates as "high day," referring to the time when the sun is highest in the sky.
Why is there no word for "at" before "klukkan tólf"?
In Icelandic, you do not need a preposition like "at" to express what time it is on the clock. You simply say klukkan (the clock) followed by the number. So the second half of this sentence literally translates to "is the clock twelve."
Do I need to change the ending of "tólf" to match the gender of any word here?
No. In Icelandic, only the numbers one through four change their endings to match the gender and case of the noun they describe. Because tólf (twelve) is higher than four, it does not change its form.
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