Breakdown of Töfrabragðið er stórt leyndarmál.
vera
to be
stór
big
töfrabragðið
the magic trick
leyndarmálið
the secret
Questions & Answers about Töfrabragðið er stórt leyndarmál.
How is the long word töfrabragðið built?
It is a compound noun made of töfrar (magic) and bragð (trick). The suffix -ið is added to the end to mean "the" because bragð is a neuter noun.
Why does the adjective stórt end in a "t" instead of just being stór?
Adjectives in Icelandic change their endings to match the gender of the noun they describe. Because leyndarmál (secret) is a neuter noun, the adjective takes the neuter ending -t.
Where is the word for "a" in this sentence?
Icelandic doesn't have words for "a" or "an" (indefinite articles). The noun leyndarmál simply translates to "a secret" all by itself based on the context.
Since this lesson is about geta (can), how would I say "The magic trick CAN be a big secret"?
You would say Töfrabragðið getur verið stórt leyndarmál. You use the modal verb getur (can) and change the main verb er (is) into its supine form, which is verið.