Question 1

Why use verður here instead of er?

Accepted Answer

Since we are predicting future weather or outdoor conditions, we use verða (to become/will be) instead of vera (to be). Saying er would mean the conditions are better right now, whereas verður means they will be better.

Question 2

Why is the word for 'much' miklu here instead of mikið?

Accepted Answer

When expressing 'how much' in a comparison, like 'much better', Icelandic uses the dative case. Miklu is the dative form of mikið. You will always see this dative pattern with comparatives, such as miklu stærri (much bigger).

Question 3

What exactly does færi mean in the compound noun skíðafærið?

Accepted Answer

While skíða comes from skíði (skis), færi translates roughly to 'conditions' or 'passability' for roads and outdoor terrain. It is commonly used when discussing if roads are icy or if snow is good for winter sports. The -ð at the end makes it definite: 'the conditions'.

Question 4

Why does betra end in an -a?

Accepted Answer

Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe, even in their comparative forms. Because skíðafærið is a neuter noun, the comparative adjective for 'better' must be in the neuter form, which is betra. If it were describing a masculine or feminine noun, it would be betri.

Question 5

Which case does fyrir trigger for snjóbrettið?

Accepted Answer

Here it triggers the accusative case. The preposition fyrir can take either dative or accusative, but when it means 'for' in the sense of intended use or benefit, it takes the accusative. Because snjóbretti (snowboard) is a neuter noun, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its nominative form.

Skíðafærið verður miklu betra fyrir snjóbrettið.

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