Questions & Answers about Gott kvöld! Maturinn er góður.
Why does the word for "good" change from gott to góður?
In Icelandic, describing words (adjectives) change their endings to match the gender of the noun they describe. Kvöld (evening) is a neuter word, so it uses the neuter form gott. Matur (food) is a masculine word, so it uses the masculine form góður.
Why is "the food" written as one word, maturinn?
Instead of putting a separate word for "the" in front of a noun like we do in English, Icelandic attaches it to the end of the word. The base word for food is matur. Adding the masculine ending -inn gives you maturinn (the food).
How can I tell that matur is a masculine word?
There are three great clues right in this sentence! The base noun matur ends in -ur, which is a very common ending for masculine words. The attached "the" ending -inn is specifically for masculine words, and the describing word góður ends in -ur to match a masculine noun.
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