User:JPLeRouzic/Icelandic stream/Lesson 1

Please don't use this page as it's a work in progress!!

In Icelandic, all nouns have a grammatical gender; that is, they are either karlmaður (m) or kvenmaður (f).

Most nouns that express people or animals have both a karlmaðure and a kvenmaðure form. For example, the two words for the actor in Icelandic are '' leikari (m) and  leikkona'' (f). The two words for the cat are '' spjall (m) and  Kisa'' (f).

However, there are some nouns that talk about people or animals whose gender are fixed, regardless of the actual gender of the person or animal. For example, '' manneskja (f) (the person) is always karlmaður (m) or kvenmaður ???, even when it's talking about your uncle/Aunt ???;  Prófessor (m) (the professor'') is always karlmaðure ???, even when it's talking about your female professor/teacher.

The nouns that express things without an obvious gender (e.g., objects and abstract concepts) have only one form. This form can be karlmaðure or kvenmaðure. For example, can only be kvenmaðure;  can only be karlmaðure.

Here is a chart which depicts some tendencies of Icelandic nouns:

Unfortunately, there are many exceptions to gender rules in Icelandic which can only be learned. Some examples here. . To help overcome this hurdle which many beginners find very difficult, be sure to learn the genders along with the words. When you think of a noun in Icelandic, think of ???.

In English, the definite article is always the.

Unlike English, the definite article is used to talk about something in a general sense, a general statement or feeling about an idea or thing.

In Icelandic, the definite article is changed depending on the noun's: some text to explain Icelandic lack of article here
 * 1) gender
 * 2) plurality

In English, the indefinite articles are a and an. Some is used as a plural article in English.

Again, indefinite articles in Icelandic take different forms depending on gender and plurality...

Some
Some text here

Plurality, pronunciation, and exceptions
Some text here

{| sonur sonur
 * sonur
 * sonur

}

Hvað er þetta?
To say What is it? or What is that? in Icelandic, is used.

Literally, Hvað er þetta? translates to What is it that it is? is used often to say What…? at the beginning  of sentences.

To respond to this question, you say Er [nom]., meaning It is a [noun''].
 * Er bók. - It's a book.

Remember that the indefinite article (un or une) must agree with the noun it modifies.
 * Ere skyrta. - It's a shirt.

Það
is used to say there is or there are. Það expresses the existence of the noun it introduces.


 * Það epli. - There is an apple.

The phrase is used for both singular and plural nouns. Unlike in English (is => are), Það does not change form.


 * Það epli. - There are (some) apples.

hér er and hér
Like in English, Það… is not often used to point out an object. To point out an object to the listener, use, meaning over here is/are or right here is/are, and , meaning over there is/are.


 * Hér er tveir piltar! - Here are the two boys!