Word
Bókasafnið er ótrúlega stórt.
Meaning
The library is incredibly big.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Bókasafnið er ótrúlega stórt.
Why does bókasafnið end in -ið instead of just being bókasafn?
In Icelandic, the word for 'the' is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word. Bókasafn is a neuter word, so it takes the neuter ending -ið to become bókasafnið (the library).
How is the word bókasafn built?
It is a compound word made of bók (book) and safn (collection or museum). The -a- in the middle is a linking letter that comes from the plural possessive form, so it literally translates to 'collection of books'.
What does the -lega ending do in ótrúlega?
The -lega ending turns an adjective into an adverb, very much like adding '-ly' in English! It changes the adjective ótrúlegur (incredible) into the adverb ótrúlega (incredibly).
Why is the word for big stórt here instead of stór?
Adjectives in Icelandic have to match the gender of the noun they describe. Because bókasafnið is a neuter noun, the adjective stór (big) must be in its neuter form, which adds a -t to make stórt.