Breakdown of Hann er að mála stærsta rétthyrninginn.
vera
to be
hann
he
að
to (infinitive marker)
mála
to paint
stærstur
biggest
rétthyrningurinn
the rectangle
Questions & Answers about Hann er að mála stærsta rétthyrninginn.
Why does stærsta end in -a instead of -i?
Because it is modifying a definite noun (rétthyrninginn). In Icelandic, adjectives take the weak declension when the noun has the definite article attached. For a masculine accusative noun, the weak superlative ending is -a. If it were the subject of the sentence (nominative), it would be stærsti.
How do we get the form rétthyrninginn in this sentence?
The base dictionary form is rétthyrningur (a rectangle). Because it is the direct object of the verb mála (to paint), it takes the accusative case. Masculine nouns ending in -ur drop the -ur in the accusative, leaving rétthyrning. Then we attach the masculine accusative definite article -inn (the) to the end, giving us rétthyrninginn.
How is the word rétthyrningur built?
It is a compound of réttur (right or straight) and hyrningur (a shape with corners, related to horn meaning corner or angle). So it literally means a right-angled shape. You will see -hyrningur used for other shapes too, like þríhyrningur for a triangle.
Why use er að mála instead of just málar?
The phrase hann er að mála uses the vera að plus infinitive construction, which shows that the action is ongoing right now (he is painting). Hann málar is the simple present tense (he paints) and is usually reserved for habits, general facts, or things happening in the near future.
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