Questions & Answers about Strákurinn er íslenskur.
Where is the word for 'the' in Strákurinn?
In Icelandic, the word for 'the' is attached to the end of the noun. The basic word for 'boy' is strákur. Adding the definite article suffix -inn creates strákurinn, meaning 'the boy'.
Why isn't íslenskur capitalized like 'Icelandic' is in English?
Unlike English, Icelandic does not capitalize words for nationalities or languages. Only the name of the country itself, like Ísland (Iceland), gets a capital letter.
Does the word íslenskur change if the person is a girl instead of a boy?
Yes! Adjectives in Icelandic must match the gender of the noun they describe. Since strákur is a masculine word, we use the masculine adjective form íslenskur. If the subject were a girl (stelpa, a feminine word), we would use the feminine form and say Stelpan er íslensk.
What is the infinitive (dictionary form) of the verb er?
The dictionary form is vera, meaning 'to be'. Just like in English, this verb is highly irregular. Er is the form for 'is' (he/she/it), but it is also the exact same word for 'am' (I).
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