Breakdown of Er nýr húsbíll alltaf eyðslulítill?
vera
to be
nýr
new
alltaf
always
húsbíllinn
the campervan
eyðslulítill
fuel-efficient
Questions & Answers about Er nýr húsbíll alltaf eyðslulítill?
How is the compound adjective eyðslulítill formed in this sentence?
It combines the noun eyðsla (consumption) and the adjective lítill (little/small). In Icelandic, appending -lítill to a noun creates an adjective indicating a lack or low amount of that thing, translating here to 'fuel-efficient' or 'low-consumption'.
Why does the first part of eyðslulítill end in a 'u' instead of an 'a'?
When connecting a noun to compounding adjectives like -lítill or -mikill, the noun is usually put into its genitive (possessive) case. The word eyðsla is a weak feminine noun, and its genitive singular form is eyðslu.
How would I say the opposite, that the campervan is a gas guzzler, using this lesson's grammar?
You would use the suffix -mikill (much/great) instead, forming the word eyðslumikill to mean high-consumption or fuel-inefficient. It takes the exact same masculine nominative ending to agree with húsbíll.
Why do nýr and eyðslulítill both take strong masculine nominative endings?
They both describe the masculine singular noun húsbíll. The adjective nýr modifies it directly, while eyðslulítill is the subject complement connected by the verb vera (to be). Because vera is a linking verb rather than an action verb, the adjective describing the subject stays in the nominative case.
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