Breakdown of Hann er besti kokkurinn í bænum.
vera
to be
hann
he
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
bærinn
the town
kokkurinn
the chef
bestur
best
Questions & Answers about Hann er besti kokkurinn í bænum.
What is the base adjective for besti?
It comes from góður (good). Just like in English (good, better, best), this is an irregular adjective in Icelandic. The basic masculine forms are góður (good), betri (better), and bestur (best).
Why does it say besti instead of the dictionary form bestur?
Because it is modifying a definite noun (kokkurinn, the chef). In Icelandic, when an adjective describes a specific, definite thing, it must use its weak form. For a masculine superlative adjective, the weak ending is -i, making it besti.
Why does kokkurinn have the definite -inn ending if the adjective already makes it specific?
Icelandic requires double definiteness here. When you use a weak, definite adjective like besti with a noun, the noun must also have the definite article attached to it. Literally, the phrasing is built as best the chef.
Why is the word for town written as bænum here instead of bærinn?
The preposition í (in) forces the noun that follows it into the dative case when you are describing a static location, meaning where something is currently located. Bænum is the dative, definite form of bær (town).
Learn Hann er besti kokkurinn í bænum and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free