Weak vs strong noun declension patterns — the two main systems of Icelandic nouns
Can distinguish weak and strong noun declension patterns and apply basic case endings
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Ég sé marga hesta.
I see many horses.
Ég gef konunni penna.
I give the woman a pen.
Bækur eru á borðinu.
Books are on the table.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Íslensk nafnorð fylgja tveimur meginbeygingarmynstrum:
Sterk beyging (strong — endingar breytast mikið):
| Fall | hestur (kk.) | bók (kvk.) | land (hk.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf. | hestur | bók | land |
| Þf. | hest | bók | land |
| Þgf. | hesti | bók | landi |
| Ef. | hests | bókar | lands |
| Nf. ft. | hestar | bækur | lönd |
Veik beyging (weak — endingar meira reglulegar):
| Fall | penni (kk.) | kona (kvk.) | hjarta (hk.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf. | penni | kona | hjarta |
| Þf. | penna | konu | hjarta |
| Þgf. | penna | konu | hjarta |
| Ef. | penna | konu | hjarta |
| Nf. ft. | pennar | konur | hjörtu |
Meginregla: Veik nafnorð hafa svipaðar endingar í öllum föllum (penna/penna/penna). Sterk nafnorð hafa mismunandi endingar og oft hljóðbreytingar (bók → bækur, land → lönd).
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesÉg sé marga hesta.
I see many horses.
Hesta = accusative plural of hestur (strong). Strong: hestur→hest→hesti→hests (sg), hestar→hesta→hestum→hesta (pl).
Ég gef konunni penna.
I give the woman a pen.
Konunni = dative definite of kona (weak f.). Penna = accusative of penni (weak m.). Both weak: regular endings.
Bækur eru á borðinu.
Books are on the table.
Bækur = nominative plural of bók (strong f.) — vowel changes: ó→æ (i-umlaut). Strong nouns often change their stem vowel.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises