Breakdown of Matarboðið byrjar klukkan sjö.
sjö
seven
byrja
to start
klukkan
the clock
matarboðið
the dinner party
Questions & Answers about Matarboðið byrjar klukkan sjö.
Why is there no preposition like 'at' before klukkan sjö?
In English we say 'at seven o'clock', but Icelandic doesn't use a preposition here. You just say klukkan sjö (literally 'the clock seven') directly after the verb to indicate what time an event happens.
How is the compound word matarboðið put together?
It is made from matar (the genitive or 'possessive' form of matur, meaning 'food') and boð (which means 'invitation' or 'party'). The -ið at the end is the neuter definite article 'the', making it 'the dinner party'.
Wait, matur is a masculine word. Why does matarboðið get the neuter ending -ið?
In Icelandic, the gender of a compound word is always determined by its last part. Since boð is a neuter noun, the entire compound word matarboð becomes neuter, which is why it takes the neuter article -ið.