Word
Gamli húsbíllinn er of plásslítill.
Meaning
The old campervan is too cramped.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Gamli húsbíllinn er of plásslítill.
How is the adjective plásslítill constructed in this sentence?
It combines the noun pláss (space) with the adjective lítill (little). In Icelandic, appending -lítill to a noun creates a new adjective meaning lacking in or having little of that thing. Here, space-little naturally translates to cramped.
Does the -lítill part of the compound change its ending to match the noun?
Yes. Even as part of a compound, -lítill still functions as an adjective describing the masculine noun húsbíllinn. It must agree in gender, number, and case, which is why it uses the masculine nominative singular form lítill instead of the neuter lítið.
As a quick refresher, why is the adjective Gamli used instead of Gamall?
Because the noun it describes, húsbíllinn, is in its definite form (it has the definite article -inn attached). When an adjective comes directly before a definite noun, it must take the weak declension. For a masculine singular noun, gamall becomes gamli.
How does the word húsbíllinn reflect Icelandic vocabulary building?
It is a highly literal compound noun. Instead of borrowing a foreign word for campervan, Icelandic combines hús (house) and bíll (car), attaching the definite article -inn at the very end to mean the house-car.