Breakdown of Stærðfræðin er skemmtileg en erfið.
vera
to be
en
but
skemmtilegur
fun
erfiður
difficult
stærðfræðin
the mathematics
Questions & Answers about Stærðfræðin er skemmtileg en erfið.
Why does the Icelandic sentence say stærðfræðin (the mathematics) with the definite article, while English just says Mathematics?
In Icelandic, it is very common to use the definite article with fields of study, languages, and abstract concepts. So you say stærðfræðin (the mathematics), sagan (the history), or lífið (the life) when talking about them in a general sense.
How is the word stærðfræðin built?
It is a compound word that perfectly describes what math is! It combines stærð (size or magnitude) and fræði (science, study, or lore). The -n at the end is the feminine singular definite article.
Why do the adjectives skemmtileg and erfið not end in -ur?
Adjectives in Icelandic must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. Because stærðfræði is a feminine noun in the nominative case, the adjectives drop the standard masculine -ur endings and take the feminine forms skemmtileg and erfið.
I know another word for 'but' is heldur. Could I use that here instead of en?
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