Breakdown of Hundurinn minn er klárari en kötturinn þinn.
vera
to be
hundurinn
the dog
kötturinn
the cat
minn
my (m, f, n: minn, mín, mitt)
þinn
your (m, f, n: þinn, þín, þitt)
en
than
klár
smart
Questions & Answers about Hundurinn minn er klárari en kötturinn þinn.
How is the word klárari (smarter) formed?
It comes from the adjective klár (smart). To make it comparative (smarter), you add -ari to the end. A helpful tip for A2 learners: comparative adjectives ending in -ari do not change based on masculine, feminine, or neuter genders in this basic case, so it stays klárari no matter what animal you are describing.
Does the word en here mean 'but' or 'than'?
Here it means 'than' because it follows a comparative adjective to connect two things being compared. The Icelandic word en translates to both 'but' and 'than' in English, and you can always tell which one it is based on whether a comparison is happening.
Why is the definite article added to make hundurinn minn instead of just hundur minn?
In Icelandic, when you use a possessive word like minn (my) or þinn (your), the noun almost always takes the 'the' ending (the definite article). So you literally say 'the dog my' (hundurinn minn) and 'the cat your' (kötturinn þinn).
Why do we use minn and þinn here instead of other forms of my and your?
Possessive words must match the gender of the noun they describe. Both hundur (dog) and köttur (cat) are masculine nouns, so they require the masculine forms minn and þinn.
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