Þessi spegill er mjög gamall.

Breakdown of Þessi spegill er mjög gamall.

vera
to be
gamall
old
mjög
very
þessi
this (m/f)
spegillinn
the mirror

Questions & Answers about Þessi spegill er mjög gamall.

Why do we use Þessi here instead of Þetta?
Þessi is the masculine and feminine form of the word for 'this'. Because spegill (mirror) is a masculine noun, we use þessi. If the noun were neuter, you would use þetta.
Why does the adjective gamall end in -ll?
Adjectives change their endings to match the gender of the noun they describe. Since spegill is a masculine noun, the adjective for 'old' must be in its masculine form, which is gamall.
Do the double Ls in spegill and gamall make a special sound?
Yes! In Icelandic, a double L (ll) is usually pronounced with a sharp click, sounding like a crisp 'tl' or 'dl'. So gamall sounds roughly like 'ga-matl'.
Why don't we say Þessi spegillinn with the 'the' ending on the noun?
When you use a pointing word like þessi (this), the noun stays in its basic, indefinite form. The word þessi already makes it specific, so adding the 'the' ending (-inn) is not needed.

Learn Þessi spegill er mjög gamall and more in Icelandic

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • Practice with interactive exercises
  • Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • Learn at your own pace — completely free