Questions & Answers about Hálsinn er þurr í dag.
Why does the sentence say hálsinn (the throat) instead of 'my throat'?
In Icelandic, it is very common to leave out possessive words like 'my' or 'your' when talking about body parts, as long as the context makes it obvious whose body it is. Since you are stating how you feel, hálsinn naturally implies 'my throat'.
Wait, doesn't háls mean 'neck'?
It means both! The word háls is used for the entire neck area, both the outside (the neck) and the inside (the throat). Context tells you which one is meant. Being 'dry' clearly points to the throat here.
Why is the adjective þurr (dry) written without any ending here?
Adjectives must match the gender and case of the noun they describe. Háls is a masculine noun in the nominative (subject) case. While many masculine adjectives end in -ur, þurr is the standard masculine form and doesn't take an extra ending here. If the noun were neuter, it would be þurrt.
Is it normal for 'today' to be two words (í dag)?
Yes! Instead of a single word for 'today', Icelandic literally says 'in day' (í dag). You will see this preposition pattern in other time expressions too, such as í kvöld (tonight) or í gær (yesterday).
Learn Hálsinn er þurr í dag and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free