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Þetta er hundur.

Þetta er hundur.
This is a dog.
From Lesson 1:Presentative and the definite suffix (þetta er, -inn, -in, -ið)·Icelandic

Breakdown of Þetta er hundur.

þetta
this
vera
to be
hundurinn
the dog

Questions & Answers about Þetta er hundur.

Why do we use þetta (which is neuter) when hundur is a masculine word?
When you introduce something with the phrase "This is...", Icelandic always uses the fixed neuter word þetta. Think of it as meaning "This general thing here is...". The gender of the noun that follows doesn't change it!
Where is the word for "a" in this sentence?
Icelandic does not have a separate word for "a" or "an". You just use the bare noun. Because of this, hundur translates to either "dog" or "a dog" depending on what sounds natural in English.
How would I change this to say "This is the dog"?
You would add the definite suffix to the end of the noun. Because hundur is a masculine word, it takes the -inn ending. The sentence would become Þetta er hundurinn.
Is the -ur at the end of hundur a special ending?
Yes, -ur is a very common ending for masculine nouns in their basic dictionary form. When you add the "the" suffix, it just tacks right onto it: hundur + inn = hundurinn.

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