Adjectives Used as Nouns

Level 5

Það besta við ferðina var maturinn. (The best thing about the trip was the food.) besta is an adjective used as a noun.

How It Works

People. Masculine and feminine forms stand for people: sá gamli (the old man), sú yngsta (the youngest girl), hinn látni (the deceased), hinir ríku (the rich). A plural can stand for a whole group: ungir og gamlir (young and old).

Things and ideas. The neuter singular stands for a thing or an idea: Það besta við ferðina var maturinn. Þetta er það eina sem ég veit. (That's the only thing I know.)

After eitthvað, ekkert, margt and allt. Use the strong neuter form, which often ends in -t: eitthvað nýtt, ekkert sérstakt, margt skemmtilegt, allt gott. The everyday answer Allt gott! (All good!) works the same way. See eitthvað and ekkert.

There is no word for "one". English says the red one. Icelandic uses sá and the weak adjective alone, in the gender of the noun you mean: Ég ætla að fá þann rauða (I'll take the red one), talking about a jakki (jacket, masculine).

Formal hinn. hinir ríku and hinn látni use the separate article hinn, which belongs to formal style. In speech, sá or þessi is more usual: sá gamli.

Examples (6)

  1. Það besta við ferðina var maturinn.

    The best thing about the trip was the food.

    Word by Word: The best about the-trip was the-food.

  2. Ég ætla að fá þann rauða.

    I'll take the red one.

    Word by Word: I intend to get that red.

    þann rauða is masculine accusative, so the speaker means a masculine noun such as jakki (jacket).

  3. Er eitthvað nýtt að frétta?

    Is there any news?

    Word by Word: Is something new to hear?

  4. Sú yngsta er bara þriggja ára.

    The youngest girl is only three.

    Word by Word: That youngest is only three years.

  5. Þetta er það eina sem ég veit.

    That's the only thing I know.

    Word by Word: This is the only that I know.

  6. Ungir og gamlir komu á tónleikana.

    Young and old came to the concert.

    Word by Word: Young and old came to the-concert.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a weak ending after eitthvað.

    Er eitthvað nýja að frétta?
    Er eitthvað nýtt að frétta?

    After eitthvað, ekkert, margt and allt, use the strong neuter form: nýtt.

  • Using a strong ending after sá.

    Ég ætla að fá þann rauðan.
    Ég ætla að fá þann rauða.

    After sá the adjective takes a weak ending: þann rauða.

  • Adding einn for "one" as in English.

    Ég ætla að fá þann rauða einn.
    Ég ætla að fá þann rauða.

    The speaker means the red one. With einn the sentence says only the red one, on its own. Icelandic needs no word for "one" here.

How It Connects

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Adjectives Used as NounsLevel 5

Learn This First

Adjectives as nouns build on weak adjectives.

Words in This Pattern

sáhinneitthvaðekkertmargtalltallthinir