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Er meðaltalið lítið?

Er meðaltalið lítið?
Is the average small?
From Lesson 139:Large numbers (hundrað, þúsund)·Icelandic

Questions & Answers about Er meðaltalið lítið?

Why does meðaltalið end in -ið?
In Icelandic, "the" is usually attached to the end of the noun as a suffix. The base word for "average" is meðaltal, which is a neuter noun. To say "the average", we add the neuter definite article suffix -ið, giving us meðaltalið.
Does the adjective lítið also end in -ið because it has a definite article?
No, the -ið ending on lítið is not an article. It is just the neuter singular form of the adjective lítill (small). Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Since meðaltal is a neuter noun, the adjective takes the neuter form lítið.
What parts make up the word meðaltal?
It is a compound word made of meðal (among/middle/mean) and tal (number or count). So literally, it means the "middle number", which makes perfect sense for the word "average"!
If I wanted to answer this question by saying "Yes, it is small", what pronoun do I use for "it"?
Because meðaltal is a neuter noun, you use the neuter pronoun það for "it". You would answer: Já, það er lítið. (Yes, it is small).

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