Learn Icelandic: Þetta er eitt egg.

In Icelandic, the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 change their form to match the gender of the noun they are counting. The word egg is a neuter noun. Because of this, we must use the neuter form for 'one', which is eitt, rather than the masculine form einn or the feminine form ein.

Does eitt mean 'an' or 'one' here?

It means 'one'. Icelandic doesn't use words for 'a' or 'an'. If you just wanted to say 'This is an egg', you would simply say Þetta er egg. By adding eitt, you are specifically counting the egg to say 'This is one egg'.

Why do we use Þetta for 'this'?

Þetta is the neuter form of the word for 'this'. It is used here because egg is a neuter word. You also use Þetta as a default when introducing something, like saying 'This is a...', so it works perfectly here!

Is the double 't' in eitt pronounced in a special way?

Yes! In Icelandic, a double 'p', 't', or 'k' usually adds a little puff of air before the consonant. So eitt sounds a bit like 'ayht', with a soft 'h' sound right before the 't'.