hættulegt

Hættulegt is an Icelandic adjective meaning dangerous or hazardous. It is used to describe situations, objects, or conditions that pose risk to safety, health, or well-being. The term is common in everyday language as well as in warnings, media, and safety guidance.

Etymology and forms: Hættulegt is the neuter singular form of the adjective hættulegur, with the base noun hætta meaning danger. Icelandic adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun they modify, producing hættulegur (masculine), hættuleg (feminine), and hættulegt (neuter). The word can appear before a noun, as in hættulegt veður (dangerous weather), or function predicatively after a verb, as in það er hættulegt (that is dangerous).

Usage: Hættulegt is used for physical danger, health risks, or hazardous conditions. It is common in safety instructions, journalism, and educational contexts. Compounds such as hættuleg efni (hazardous substances), hættuleg veður (dangerous weather), and hættulegar aðstæður (dangerous circumstances) illustrate its versatility in describing risk.

Examples:

- Það er hættulegt að keyra þarna. (It is dangerous to drive there.)

- VANDI: Hættulegt efni. (Caution: hazardous material.)

- Veðrið er búið að breyta hættulegt. (The weather has become dangerous.) [Note: common paraphrase structures may vary; use predicative form as appropriate.]

See also: hætta (danger), hættulegur (dangerous, masculine form), safety terminology in Icelandic.

Note: Hættulegt is part of everyday safety vocabulary and appears across formal and informal registers.