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Questions & Answers about Hann keyrir bílinn.
What does hann mean?
hann is the third-person singular masculine personal pronoun in the nominative case, so it means he.
What is keyrir, and what tense and person is it?
The infinitive is keyra (“to drive”). keyrir is the present tense, third-person singular form, so it translates as drives.
Why is bílinn not just bíll? What does the -inn ending indicate?
Icelandic marks definiteness by a suffix. bíll means “a car” (indefinite), while bílinn (bíll + inn) means “the car.” The -inn ending shows it’s masculine, singular, and definite.
What case is bílinn in here, and why does it take that form?
It’s in the accusative case because it functions as the direct object of keyra. For masculine singular nouns, the definite accusative form also ends in -inn, so bílinn serves as both definite and accusative.
Can the subject pronoun hann be omitted in this sentence?
Yes. Icelandic often drops the subject pronoun when the verb ending makes the person clear. keyrir bílinn can still mean “He drives the car,” though context is needed to know who “he” is.
How do you form a yes/no question from Hann keyrir bílinn?
Move the verb to the first position and leave out any extra auxiliary. You get Keyrir hann bílinn? meaning “Does he drive the car?”
Is there another verb for “drive” in Icelandic?
Yes. You can use aka meaning “to drive/ride” (travel by vehicle). For example, hann ekur bílinn also means “He drives the car.” keyra focuses on operating the vehicle, while aka emphasizes the journey.
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