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Questions & Answers about Foreldri hlustar á tónlist.
What case is tónlist in, and why doesn’t it change form here?
After the preposition á, the noun must be in the dative case. Tónlist is a strong feminine noun whose singular nominative and dative forms are identical, so you don’t see any ending change.
Why do we use á with hlusta instead of taking a direct object?
In Icelandic, hlusta (“to listen”) is a prepositional verb and always takes á + dative for its object: hlusta á tónlist = “listen to music.” You cannot drop á and say hlusta tónlist.
Is foreldri singular or plural, and how do you form the plural “parents”?
Foreldri is singular, meaning “a parent.” The plural “parents” is foreldrar (nominative plural). E.g. Foreldrar hlusta á tónlist = “Parents listen to music.”
How would you say “the parent listens to music” (with “the”)?
Attach the definite suffix -ið to foreldri:
Foreldrið hlustar á tónlist.
Why is there no article before tónlist here?
In Foreldri hlustar á tónlist, tónlist is indefinite/unlimited (“(some) music”) and uncountable. If you wanted “the music,” you’d use the definite form tónlistin.
How do you make the sentence negative?
Place ekki after the verb:
Foreldri hlustar ekki á tónlist. (“A parent does not listen to music.”)
How would you ask “Does a parent listen to music?” in Icelandic?
Invert subject and verb:
Hlustar foreldri á tónlist?
How would you say “my parents listen to music”?
Use foreldrar plus the possessive pronoun mínir (agreeing in gender/number):
Foreldrar mínir hlusta á tónlist.