Breakdown of Þessi hnífur er mjög þungur.
vera
to be
mjög
very
þessi
this (m/f)
hnífurinn
the knife
þungur
heavy
Questions & Answers about Þessi hnífur er mjög þungur.
Why do we use þessi here instead of þetta for 'this'?
The word for 'this' changes to match the gender of the noun it points to. Hnífur (knife) is a masculine noun, so we use the masculine form þessi. You would use þetta if the noun were neuter.
I have seen sentences start with þetta even when talking about masculine words. Why is this one þessi hnífur?
It depends on how you are using the word. When 'this' is attached directly to a noun to say 'This knife', it must match the noun's gender (Þessi hnífur). But if you are simply introducing something by saying 'This is a knife', you use the default neuter form: Þetta er hnífur.
Both hnífur and þungur end in -ur. Does that mean they are plural?
No, they are both singular! In Icelandic, -ur is a very common ending for masculine words in their basic, singular form. Hnífur is the noun itself, and þungur (heavy) gets the -ur ending because it is an adjective that must match the masculine noun it describes.
Does the word mjög change if the noun is feminine or neuter?
No. Mjög is an adverb meaning 'very', and adverbs never change their form in Icelandic. Only pronouns (like þessi) and adjectives (like þungur) change to match the gender of the noun.
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