Weak & Strong Noun Declension
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).
Ég sé marga hesta.
I see many horses.
Hesta = acc. pl. (strong declension).
Ég gef konunni penna.
I give the woman a pen.
Both kona and penni are weak: regular endings.
Bækur eru á borðinu.
Books are on the table.
Bók → bækur (i-umlaut in strong plural).
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises