Breakdown of Rottan hoppar úr kassanum, alveg óhrædd.
kassinn
the box
úr
out of
rottan
the rat
hoppa
to jump (hop)
alveg
completely, totally
óhræddur
unafraid
Questions & Answers about Rottan hoppar úr kassanum, alveg óhrædd.
How is the word óhrædd formed, and what does the base word mean?
It is made by adding the negative prefix ó- to the adjective hræddur (afraid). Just like 'un-' in English, ó- flips the meaning, making it 'unafraid'. This prefix is highly productive, meaning you can attach it to many different adjectives in Icelandic.
Why is the adjective óhrædd instead of the dictionary form óhræddur?
Adjectives must agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they describe. Here, the adjective describes Rottan (the rat), which is a feminine noun in the nominative case. To match it, the masculine -ur ending is dropped to form the feminine óhrædd.
Is the adverb alveg a natural fit for this type of negative adjective?
Yes! Alveg means 'completely' or 'totally'. It pairs perfectly with absolute states like being unafraid (óhrædd), impossible (ómögulegt), or broken (ónýtt), and is used constantly in everyday Icelandic for emphasis.
Why does the word for box (kassi) change to kassanum here?
The preposition úr (out of) always forces the noun that follows it into the dative case. The dative form of the masculine noun kassi is kassa. When you attach the dative definite article to say 'the box', you add -num to get kassanum.
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