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Questions & Answers about Kennari vinnur í skóla.
What is the literal translation of kennari vinnur í skóla?
Kennari means teacher (in the indefinite sense), vinnur is the third person singular present form of að vinna (to work) meaning works, and í skóla translates as in school. So the sentence means "A teacher works in school."
Why isn’t there an article like a or the before kennari?
In Icelandic, definiteness isn’t shown with a separate word; instead, it’s expressed by adding a suffix to the noun. Kennari is the indefinite form meaning teacher, while adding the definite suffix (as in kennarinn) would mean the teacher. That is why no separate article is needed.
How is the verb vinnur conjugated, and what does it tell us about the subject?
Vinnur is the present tense, third person singular form of the verb að vinna (to work). This conjugation indicates that the subject (kennari) is singular and that the action is happening in the present.
What is the function of the preposition í in this sentence?
The preposition í means in in English and is used here to indicate location. In this context, it tells us where the teacher works, namely in school. In some cases, English might use at for similar locational contexts, but the literal Icelandic meaning is in.
Is the word order in this Icelandic sentence similar to English sentence structure?
Yes, the sentence follows a Subject-Verb-Prepositional phrase pattern very similar to English. Kennari (subject) comes first, vinnur (verb) follows, and í skóla (prepositional phrase indicating location) comes at the end.