Breakdown of Þetta er mikill hæfileiki.
þetta
this
vera
to be
mikill
great, much (adjective)
hæfileikinn
the talent
Questions & Answers about Þetta er mikill hæfileiki.
Why is þetta in the neuter form if hæfileiki is a masculine noun?
When you use "this is" or "that is" to introduce a new noun, Icelandic always uses the neuter singular pronoun (þetta or það). You use the neuter form because you are essentially saying "This (undefined thing) is a talent," rather than pointing to a specific already-known masculine object.
Why does the adjective mikill end in -ll here?
Mikill (great or much) must match the noun it describes in gender, number, and case. Because hæfileiki is a masculine, singular noun in the nominative case, the adjective takes the masculine singular nominative form, which is mikill.
Could I use stór (big) instead of mikill to say "great talent"?
It sounds unnatural in Icelandic. Stór is generally used for things that have a physical size, like a house or a dog. For abstract concepts like talent, interest, or time, you should use mikill to express that it is "great" or "a lot."
What kind of noun is hæfileiki and how does it decline?
It is a weak masculine noun, which is very common for masculine words ending in -i. This means its endings are quite simple: it changes to hæfileika in all other singular cases (accusative, dative, and genitive) and becomes hæfileikar in the plural.