Breakdown of Þessi flaska er sjaldgæf og ekta.
vera
to be
og
and
flaskan
the bottle
þessi
this (m/f)
sjaldgæfur
rare
ekta
genuine
Questions & Answers about Þessi flaska er sjaldgæf og ekta.
How would I drop the noun here and just say 'This rare one is genuine'?
To tie into this lesson's topic, you can drop the noun flaska and use the weak form of the adjective right after þessi. Because flaska is a feminine noun, the weak feminine form of sjaldgæfur is sjaldgæfa. So, 'This rare one is genuine' becomes Þessi sjaldgæfa er ekta.
Why is it sjaldgæf in this sentence instead of the weak form sjaldgæfa?
Even though we have Þessi at the start of the sentence, the adjective sjaldgæf comes after the verb er. Adjectives that come after the verb 'to be' describe the noun across the sentence, so they take the strong declension. If the adjective came directly between the pointing word and the noun, it would take the weak form: Þessi sjaldgæfa flaska (This rare bottle).
Does the word ekta change if we talk about a masculine or neuter noun instead?
No, ekta (genuine/real) is an indeclinable adjective. It is a loanword and never changes its ending, no matter the gender, number, or case of the noun it describes.
I often mix up þessi and þetta. Why is it þessi here?
Þessi is the form for both masculine and feminine nouns in the nominative case. Since flaska is a feminine noun, it takes þessi. You would only use þetta if the noun was neuter, like þetta epli (this apple), or if you were pointing to a completely unknown object.
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