sjaldgæfur

Sjaldgæfur is an Icelandic adjective meaning rare or uncommon, used to describe events, objects, or phenomena that occur infrequently or are not common in a given context. The term carries a formal or literary tone and is common in scientific, historical, and cultural writing.

It inflects like other Icelandic adjectives to agree with the noun in gender, number, and definiteness. It can pair with nouns such as tilvik (case), tegund (species), or atburður (event). Examples include sjaldgæft tilvik and sjaldgæf tegund.

In everyday speech, sjaldgæfur often signals genuine rarity rather than mere unusualness. Its use can emphasize an exceptional observation or a rare phenomenon.

Examples:

Það er sjaldgæft að sjá norðurljósin í ágúst. (It is rare to see the Northern Lights in August.)

Þessi tegund er sjaldgæf og fjöldi hennar minnkar. (This species is rare and its population is decreasing.)

See also: algengur (common), óvenjulegur (unusual).