Learn Icelandic: Hvaða sölubás á markaðnum er bestur? Þessi gamli. - Which stall at the market is best? This old one.

Hvaða sölubás á markaðnum er bestur? Þessi gamli.

Which stall at the market is best? This old one.

Breakdown of Hvaða sölubás á markaðnum er bestur? Þessi gamli.

onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)

þessi

this (m/f)

Questions & Answers about Hvaða sölubás á markaðnum er bestur? Þessi gamli.

How does Þessi gamli mean "This old one" without a word for "one"?

In Icelandic, you do not need a placeholder word like "one". Because gamli is masculine, it automatically points back to the masculine noun sölubás (stall). You can just use the adjective independently to mean "the old one".

Why do we use the weak form gamli instead of the regular strong form gamall?

The demonstrative word þessi (this) always forces the adjective that follows it into its weak form. For a masculine noun, the weak form of gamall is gamli.

Why is bestur (best) in the strong form if gamli is in the weak form?

Bestur follows the verb er (is) as a general description, which requires the strong form. Gamli is only weak because it is directly paired with the word þessi (this).

Why is the word for market, markaðnum, in the dative case?

The preposition á (at or on) takes the dative case when it describes a fixed location, like being stationary at the market. Markaðnum is the dative form of the noun markaðurinn (the market).