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Allt kapphlaupið er erfitt, en þessi braut er erfiðust.

Allt kapphlaupið er erfitt, en þessi braut er erfiðust.
The whole race is difficult, but this track is most difficult.
From Lesson 114:Superlative adjectives (-astur/-stur)·Icelandic

Questions & Answers about Allt kapphlaupið er erfitt, en þessi braut er erfiðust.

Why does the superlative end in -ust in erfiðust?
Because it describes braut (track), which is a feminine noun. For regular adjectives, the feminine singular superlative in the strong declension ends in -ust. For comparison, the masculine form would be erfiðastur and the neuter would be erfiðast.
How can I tell that braut is a feminine noun?
You can spot the gender from the words agreeing with it! The superlative adjective erfiðust has the feminine ending. Also, the word for 'this' is þessi, which is used for both masculine and feminine nouns, but combined with the feminine erfiðust, it confirms braut is feminine.
Why is the first adjective spelled erfitt with a double t instead of a ð?
This is a handy spelling rule to remember. The dictionary form of 'difficult' is erfiður. Because kapphlaupið (the race) is a neuter noun, the adjective needs the neuter ending -t. When an adjective root ends in ð and you add -t, the ð changes to a t, resulting in erfitt.
Why does kapphlaupið have the 'the' ending attached when it comes after allt?
In Icelandic, when you want to say 'the whole' or 'all the' of a specific thing, you use the correct form of allur (all) followed by the noun with its definite article attached. So allt kapphlaupið literally means 'all race-the', which we translate as 'the whole race'.

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