I was recently reviewing some old class materials, and realized that I needed a refresher course in the proper use of articles. And what better way to learn than by teaching others? So today let’s look at definite and indefinite articles.<\/p>\n
A few notes before we begin: a definite noun designates a specified entity. In Icelandic, it often refers (a) to either someone or something that has been mentioned previously, (b) is in the speaker’s line of sight, or (c) is common knowledge.<\/p>\n
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Einu sinni voru karl og kona a\u00f0 ganga.\u00a0Karlinn<\/strong><\/em> var … Hann f\u00f3r til Frakklands \u00ed jan\u00faar. \u00c1 lei\u00f0inni<\/em> \u2026. Hver \u00e1 hundinn<\/em>? S\u00f3lin<\/em> kemur upp \u00ed austri og \u00ed vestri sest h\u00fan ni\u00f0ur <\/p>\n Karlkyn \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Kvenkyn \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Hvorugkyn<\/p>\n As you can see, a noun is definite if it has an article. In Icelandic, the article appears as the suffixes -(i)nn for masculine nouns, -(i)n for feminine nouns, and -(i)\u00f0 for neuter nouns and their declensions in the four cases. All of these three articles in all of their declensions mean, simply, ‘the’. Note that Icelandic does not have a separate indefinite article, whereas English uses the article ‘a(n)’.<\/p>\n Note: there are some slight spelling deviations from these nouns for ‘irregular’ nouns<\/strong> (e.g., feminine -ing nouns: skilning –> skilningu<\/em>na –> skilningu<\/em>nni –> skilningu<\/em>nnar)<\/p>\n If you were to use a demonstrative pronoun (i.e.,\u00a0s\u00e1<\/em>, \u00feessi<\/em>), you would not affix an article to the end of the word.<\/p>\n kona =\u00a0\u00feessi<\/em> kona\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Unlike in English, nouns in Icelandic generally stand in front of their corresponding possessive pronouns and contain a suffixed definite pronoun. Nouns are either indefinite or definite (with or without an article).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are some exceptions to this rule, however:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00deetta er b\u00f3kin m\u00edn<\/em><\/p>\n This is\u00a0my book.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00deetta er penninn minn.<\/em><\/p>\n This is my pen.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sometimes possessive pronouns can stand in front of the noun for the sake of emphasis or contrast. In this case, the noun is indefinite and therefore does not take an article. This construct is much more common in spoken language.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00deetta er m\u00edn b\u00f3k<\/em> (en ekki \u00fe\u00edn)<\/p>\n This is\u00a0my book\u00a0<\/em>(not yours)<\/p>\n Hann t\u00f3k s\u00ednar b\u00e6kur<\/em> heim (en ekki hennar)<\/p>\n He took\u00a0his (own) books\u00a0<\/em>home (not hers)<\/p>\n \u00deetta eru okkar b\u00e6kur<\/em> (en ekki ykkar)<\/p>\n These are\u00a0our books<\/em> (not yours)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Don’t be confused if you come across a noun for a concrete object\u00a0without\u00a0<\/em>a definite object even though it’s accompanied by a possessive pronoun. Indefinite nouns before personal pronouns are characteristic of a formal style almost entirely exclusive to writing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Formal<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0In<\/strong>formal<\/strong><\/p>\n B\u00e6kur<\/em> hans<\/em> hafa veri\u00f0 \u00fe\u00fdddar\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0B\u00e6kurnar<\/em> hans<\/em> hafa veri\u00f0 \u00fe\u00fdddar<\/p>\n His books\u00a0<\/em>have been translated<\/p>\n \u00cd grein<\/em> sinni<\/em> talar Eir\u00edkur um…\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00cd greininni<\/em> sinni talar Eir\u00edkur um..<\/em><\/p>\n In\u00a0his article,\u00a0<\/em>Eir\u00edkur talks about…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Br\u00f3\u00f0ir minn<\/em> er eldri en \u00e9g<\/p>\n My brother\u00a0<\/em>is older than me.<\/p>\n Eiginkona hans<\/em> er \u00edslensk<\/p>\n His wife\u00a0<\/em>is Icelandic.<\/p>\n Vinur okkar <\/em>er fr\u00e1 Frakklandi<\/p>\n Our friend<\/em> is from France.<\/p>\n Unnusti hennar <\/em>er ungur og efnilegur ma\u00f0ur (formlegt)<\/p>\n Her fianc\u00e9\u00a0<\/em>is a young and promising man (formal)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The words\u00a0ma\u00f0ur\u00a0<\/em>(husband), kona<\/em>\u00a0(wife), barn\u00a0<\/em>(child), k\u00e6rasti<\/em>\u00a0(boyfriend) og k\u00e6rasta\u00a0<\/em>(girlfriend) are generally definite before a possessive pronoun:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ma\u00f0urinn minn<\/em> eldar alltaf matinn<\/p>\n My husband\u00a0<\/em>always cooks dinner.<\/p>\n B\u00f6rnin m\u00edn<\/em> eru \u00ed sk\u00f3lanum<\/p>\n My children\u00a0<\/em>are at school.<\/p>\n K\u00e6rastinn hennar<\/em> er \u00edslenskur.<\/p>\n Her boyfriend\u00a0<\/em>is Icelandic.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n L\u00edf hans<\/em> var erfitt<\/p>\n His life\u00a0<\/em>was difficult<\/p>\n Sko\u00f0un hennar<\/em> er s\u00fa a\u00f0 …<\/p>\n Her opinion\u00a0<\/em>is that…<\/p>\n Nafn mitt <\/em>er J\u00f3n<\/p>\n My name\u00a0<\/em>is J\u00f3n<\/p>\n Samband \u00feeirra <\/em>\u00a0er innilegt<\/p>\n Their relationship\u00a0<\/em>is intimate<\/p>\n Hugmyndir hennar<\/em> eru athyglisver\u00f0ar<\/p>\n Her ideas\u00a0<\/em>are interesting<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Different wording is used to convey the same ideas in less formal style. It’s not enough to simply add an article to the noun. For example:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hann \u00e1tti erfitt<\/p>\n He has had a difficult life (lit. He has had (it) difficult)<\/p>\n H\u00fan heldur a\u00f0 …<\/p>\n He thinks\/believes that…<\/p>\n \u00c9g heiti J\u00f3n<\/p>\n My name is J\u00f3n (lit. I am called J\u00f3n)<\/p>\n H\u00fan er me\u00f0 athyglisver\u00f0ar hugmyndir<\/p>\n He has interesting ideas.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Note that when talking about words for body parts or something that’s located on the body, you use a definite noun,\u00a0without\u00a0<\/strong>the possessive pronoun.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n M\u00e9r er illt \u00ed bakinu<\/em><\/p>\n My back hurts\/I have a backache (lit. I hurt in\u00a0the back<\/em>)<\/p>\n Honum er illt \u00ed h\u00f6f\u00f0inu<\/em><\/p>\n His head hurts\/He has a headache (lit. He hurts in\u00a0the head<\/em>)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sometimes a prepositional phrase follows the noun. This fulfills the same function as a possessive pronoun:<\/p>\n H\u00fan reyndi a\u00f0 snerta\u00a0t\u00e6rnar (\u00e1 s\u00e9r)<\/em><\/p>\n She tried to touch her toes. (lit. She tried to touch\u00a0the toes on herself<\/em>)<\/p>\n H\u00e1ri\u00f0 \u00e1 \u00fe\u00e9r<\/em> er alltaf vel klippt<\/p>\n Your hair is always well-groomed. (lit.\u00a0The hair on you<\/em> is always well-groomed.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In Icelandic, there\u00b4s a concept called eignarfallseinkunn,\u00a0<\/strong>for which I do not know the English translation. It\u00b4s an indefinite noun (no article) followed by a definite noun\u00a0 (with article) in the genitive case, and it forms a possessive.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The general rule is that the possession<\/em> is indefinite but the owner<\/em> is definite:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00deetta er b\u00edll mannsins <\/em>sem b\u00fdr \u00ed n\u00e6sta h\u00fasi<\/p>\n This is\u00a0(the) car of the man\u00a0<\/em>who lives nextdoor.<\/p>\n Kunn\u00e1tta nemendanna <\/em>kom kennaranum \u00e1 \u00f3vart<\/p>\n (The) skill of the students\/the students’ skill\u00a0<\/em>surprised the teacher.<\/p>\n Innihald s\u00f6gunnar<\/em> er frekar einfalt.<\/p>\n (The) contents of the story\/the story’s contents\u00a0<\/em>are quite simple.<\/p>\n R\u00f6dd samviskunnar<\/em> segir okkur a\u00f0 h\u00e6tta n\u00fana.<\/p>\n (The) voice of conscience\u00a0<\/em>tells us to stop now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Proper nouns (J\u00f3n, \u00cdsland …) are definite by nature, and so they never take an article:<\/p>\n \u00deetta er b\u00edll J\u00f3ns<\/p>\n This is\u00a0(the) car of J\u00f3n\/J\u00f3n’s car<\/em><\/p>\n N\u00e1tt\u00fara<\/em> \u00cdslands<\/em> dregur a\u00f0 marga fer\u00f0amenn<\/p>\n (The) nature of Iceland\/Iceland’s nature\u00a0<\/em>attracts many tourists.<\/p>\n B\u00e6kur Arnalds eru mj\u00f6g vins\u00e6lar \u00e1 \u00cdslandi<\/p>\n Arnaldur’s books\/(the) books of Arnaldur\u00a0<\/em>are very popular in Iceland.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If a possessive pronoun comes\u00a0before\u00a0<\/strong>the proper noun, then the possession is definite. This construction is only possible when everyone in the conversation knows the person in question (the owner), and is used exclusively in informal spoken registers and never in writing or formal situations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00deetta er b\u00edllinn<\/em> hans<\/em> J\u00f3ns<\/em><\/p>\n This is\u00a0J\u00f3n’s car\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u00deetta er taskan<\/em> hennar<\/em> Ingu<\/em><\/p>\n This is\u00a0Inga’s bag.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I was recently reviewing some old class materials, and realized that I needed a refresher course in the proper use of articles. And what better way to learn than by teaching others? So today let’s look at definite and indefinite articles. A few notes before we begin: a definite noun designates a specified entity. In…<\/p>\n
\nOnce upon a time, a man and woman were walking.\u00a0The\u00a0<\/strong>man was…<\/p>\n
\nHe went to France in January. Along the<\/strong> way…<\/p>\n
\nWho owns\u00a0the<\/strong> dog?<\/p>\n
\nThe<\/em><\/strong> sun comes up in the east and sets in the west.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n -inn<\/td>\n -n<\/td>\n -\u00f0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n -inn<\/td>\n -ina<\/td>\n -\u00f0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n -num<\/td>\n -inni<\/td>\n -inu<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n -ins<\/td>\n -innar<\/td>\n -ins<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n -nir<\/td>\n -nar<\/td>\n -in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n -na<\/td>\n -nar<\/td>\n -in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n -num<\/td>\n -num<\/td>\n -num<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n -nna<\/td>\n -nna<\/td>\n -nna<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n
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