Breakdown of Þetta óþrifalega eldhús er alveg óboðlegt.
þetta
this
vera
to be
eldhúsið
the kitchen
alveg
completely, totally
óþrifalegur
unhygienic
óboðlegur
unacceptable
Questions & Answers about Þetta óþrifalega eldhús er alveg óboðlegt.
How exactly is the adjective óþrifalega built?
It uses the negative prefix ó- to reverse the meaning of the adjective þrifalegur (clean or tidy). The root word is the verb þrífa (to clean). By adding the suffix -legur (similar to the English '-ly' or '-able'), it becomes an adjective, and attaching ó- at the beginning turns it into 'unhygienic' or 'dirty'.
What is the literal translation of the root parts in óboðlegt?
It literally translates to 'un-offer-able'. It is built from the negative prefix ó-, the root noun boð (an offer, related to the verb bjóða), and the suffix -legur. If a room or a situation is óboðlegt, it means the quality is so poor that you cannot offer it to anyone, which is why it translates to 'unacceptable'.
Both óþrifalega and óboðlegt describe the neuter noun eldhús. Why do their endings not match?
This is a classic example of weak versus strong adjectives. The word óþrifalega takes the weak declension ending -a because it is trapped behind the pointing word þetta (this). However, óboðlegt comes after the verb er and stands alone as a descriptive fact, so it must use the strong declension, giving it the neuter singular ending -t.
Why don't we add the definite article to the end of eldhús here?
Because we are using the demonstrative pronoun þetta (this). In Icelandic, when you use a strong pointing word like þetta before an adjective and a noun, the noun usually stays in its indefinite form without the attached article.
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