Learn Icelandic: Þetta eru góðir tímar.

Þetta eru góðir tímar.

These are good times.

Breakdown of Þetta eru góðir tímar.

the time / the class (m) / the hour

Questions & Answers about Þetta eru góðir tímar.

How does the word for time change to become the plural times here?

The singular word for time is tími, which is a masculine noun. To make it plural in the nominative case (which is the form used for subjects and after the verb to be), you drop the final -i and add the common masculine plural ending -ar, giving you tímar.

Since times is plural, why do we use þetta (this) instead of a plural word for these?

When pointing something out with phrases like This is... or These are..., Icelandic almost always uses the fixed neuter singular pronoun þetta. It acts as a generic introductory word, so it does not change to a plural form even if the thing you are pointing out is plural.

If þetta is singular, why does the sentence use the plural verb eru (are)?

In these introductory sentences, the verb to be skips over þetta and agrees with the actual noun that comes after it. Because tímar is plural, the verb must be the plural eru. If you were pointing out a single thing, it would be Þetta er (This is).

Why does the adjective take the form góðir instead of the dictionary form góður?

Adjectives always have to match the noun they describe in gender, case, and number. Since tímar is a masculine, nominative, plural noun, the adjective good drops its singular ending and takes the matching masculine plural ending -ir, becoming góðir.