Questions & Answers about Myntsmiðjan er mjög stór.
What gives myntsmiðjan its feminine gender, mynt or smiðja?
In Icelandic compound words, the last noun always determines the gender and declension of the whole word. Smiðja (smithy/workshop) is a feminine noun, so the entire compound is feminine. The -n at the very end is the attached feminine definite article.
If we wanted to say the mint is "newly opened", how would we use the ný- prefix from this lesson?
You would attach ný- directly to the past participle of opna (to open). Because myntsmiðjan is a feminine noun, the past participle must agree with it in the feminine nominative singular, which is opnuð. This gives us the sentence: Myntsmiðjan er nýopnuð.
Since myntsmiðjan is feminine, why doesn't the adjective stór have a special feminine ending?
The adjective stór is actually identical in both the masculine and feminine nominative singular forms! (The neuter form is stórt). Even though learners sometimes expect a distinct feminine ending, stór is already the correct matching form for a feminine noun.
Is smiðja only used for literal blacksmiths or metal forges?
Not at all! While it originally means a forge, smiðja is a highly productive suffix in modern Icelandic used for many types of production facilities or collaborative spaces. For example, vinnusmiðja means a workshop (like a seminar), and hugmyndasmiðja means a think tank.
Learn Myntsmiðjan er mjög stór and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free