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Þessi hlutur er gagnslaus og tilgangslaus.

Þessi hlutur er gagnslaus og tilgangslaus.
This object is useless and pointless.
From Lesson 296:Privative adjectives (-laus)·Icelandic

Questions & Answers about Þessi hlutur er gagnslaus og tilgangslaus.

How exactly is the word tilgangslaus built?
It combines the noun tilgangur (purpose or point) and the suffix -laus (without or -less). When attaching -laus to a noun, that noun is usually put into its genitive (possessive) form. The genitive of tilgangur is tilgangs, giving us tilgangslaus.
What is the root noun inside gagnslaus?
It comes from the neuter noun gagn, which means use, benefit, or advantage. Just like the previous word, it takes the genitive ending -s before the suffix, becoming gagnslaus (without benefit).
Do adjectives ending in -laus change their endings to agree with the noun?
Yes, they decline just like regular adjectives. They both end in -laus here because they are describing the masculine, singular noun hlutur. If they were describing a neuter noun like hús (house), they would get a neuter -t ending, becoming gagnslaust and tilgangslaust.
Why does the sentence start with Þessi hlutur instead of Þetta hlutur?
When a demonstrative pronoun (a word for this or that) is placed directly in front of a noun, it must match that noun's gender. Because hlutur is masculine, we use the masculine form þessi. You only use the neuter þetta as a default when it stands alone, such as in the phrase Þetta er hlutur (This is an object).

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