Descriptive adjectives are a crucial part of any language, adding detail and depth to our conversations and descriptions. In Icelandic, adjectives agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they describe, and this can be a bit challenging for learners. But don’t worry, with practice you’ll get the hang of it. Here, we’ll explore some of the most common descriptive adjectives in Icelandic, their meanings, and how to use them in a sentence.
Stรณr (large, big)
Stรณr is an adjective that describes something of a considerable size, larger than average or what might be expected.
Hann bรฝr รญ stรณru hรบsi. (He lives in a large house.)
Lรญtill (small, little)
Lรญtill refers to something of a minimal size or magnitude.
รetta er lรญtill bรญll. (This is a small car.)
Fallegur (beautiful, handsome)
Fallegur is used to describe something or someone that is aesthetically pleasing or attractive.
รaรฐ var fallegur sรณlarupprรกs. (There was a beautiful sunrise.)
Ljรณtur (ugly)
Ljรณtur is the opposite of fallegur and is used when something is unpleasant to look at.
รetta er ljรณtur bygging. (That is an ugly building.)
Glรฆnรฝr (brand new)
Glรฆnรฝr is used to express that something is very new, often just made or released.
รg keypti mรฉr glรฆnรฝja tรถsku. (I bought a brand new bag.)
Gamall (old)
Gamall is used to describe something that has been in existence for a long time or someone of an advanced age.
รessi bรณk er mjรถg gรถmul. (This book is very old.)
Skemmtilegur (fun, entertaining)
Skemmtilegur is a term describing an event, person, or thing as amusing or enjoyable.
รetta var skemmtilegur leikur. (That was a fun game.)
Leiรฐinlegur (boring, tedious)
Leiรฐinlegur refers to something that is not interesting or exciting, often causing boredom.
รessi kennslustund var leiรฐinleg. (This class was boring.)
Gรณรฐur (good)
Gรณรฐur describes something of high quality or something positive in nature.
Hann er gรณรฐur maรฐur. (He is a good man.)
Vondur (bad)
Vondur describes something of poor quality, unpleasant, or unfavorable.
รetta veรฐur er vont. (This weather is bad.)
Reiรฐur (angry)
Reiรฐur describes a feeling of strong annoyance or displeasure.
Hรบn var reiรฐ viรฐ hann. (She was angry with him.)
Heppinn (lucky)
Heppinn is used to describe situations or persons that are favored by luck or good fortune.
Viรฐ vorum heppin aรฐ sjรก norรฐurljรณsin. (We were lucky to see the Northern Lights.)
รheppinn (unlucky)
รheppinn is the opposite of heppinn, used for someone or something not favored by luck.
รaรฐ var รณheppni aรฐ missa flugiรฐ. (It was unlucky to miss the flight.)
Using descriptive adjectives can significantly expand your ability to convey precise meanings and enhance your communication in Icelandic. Remember the importance of adjective agreement, and don’t hesitate to practice these adjectives in context to get more comfortable with their usage. Icelandic can be a beautiful and rewarding language to learn, and mastering descriptors is an essential step in the process. Keep practicing, and enjoy the journey of language learning!
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