Questions & Answers about Eru gæðin verri núna?
Why is the verb plural (eru) when the English translation says "Is the quality"?
What is the base adjective for the comparative verri (worse)?
Verri is the irregular comparative form of the adjective vondur (bad) or sometimes illur (bad). Just like in English where "bad" becomes "worse", the Icelandic word changes its stem completely when making a comparison.
Does the comparative adjective verri change to match the plural noun gæðin?
Comparative adjectives in Icelandic follow a simplified declension pattern. For the nominative plural across all three genders, the comparative adjective ends in -i. Therefore, verri perfectly matches the plural neuter noun gæðin here.
Why does gæðin end with -in?
The -in at the end is the attached definite article, meaning "the". Since gæði is a neuter plural noun, attaching the neuter plural definite article -in gives us gæðin (the quality).