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Kennarinn kennir okkur íslensku á hverjum degi.

Kennarinn kennir okkur íslensku á hverjum degi.
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Questions & Answers about Kennarinn kennir okkur íslensku á hverjum degi.

What does the ending -inn in Kennarinn mean, and how is it formed?
  • It’s the suffixed definite article: kennarinn = “the teacher.”
  • Base noun: kennari (“a teacher,” masculine nominative singular).
  • For masculine nouns ending in -i, the -i drops and -inn is attached: kennari → kennarinn.
  • Indefinite vs. definite: Kennari kennir… (a teacher) vs. Kennarinn kennir… (the teacher).
Why is kennir used here? What form is it?
  • kenna = to teach. kennir is present tense, 3rd person singular (“teaches”).
  • Present in Icelandic covers habitual actions, which fits “every day.”
  • Mini paradigm (present): ég kenni, þú kennir, hann/hún/það kennir, við kennum, þið kennið, þeir/þær/þau kenna.
Why okkur and not við for “us”?
  • við is nominative plural (“we”), used for subjects only.
  • okkur is the oblique form used for both accusative and dative (“us”).
  • In this sentence, the person being taught is dative (required by kenna), so okkur is dative.
  • Quick forms: nominative við, accusative okkur, dative okkur, genitive okkar.
What case is íslensku in, and why isn’t it íslenska?
  • íslenska (Icelandic, the language) is a feminine noun; its accusative singular form is íslensku.
  • The verb construction is kenna e-m e-ð (“teach someone [DAT] something [ACC]”). So the “something” is íslensku (accusative).
  • Note: for this noun, acc/dat/gen singular all look like íslensku, so the form matches several cases; here it functions as accusative.
Could íslensku be dative here?
  • The form could be dative in other contexts, but with kenna e-m e-ð, the language is the direct object (accusative) and the person is dative. So here it’s accusative by role.
What does á hverjum degi literally mean, and why those endings?
  • Literally: “on each day.”
  • á governs the dative when it means “on/at” (time or location).
  • hverjum = dative singular of hver (“each/every”).
  • degi = dative singular of dagur (“day”). (Nom: dagur, Acc: dag, Dat: degi, Gen: dags.)
Can I say á hverjum dag instead?
  • No. After á with the time-meaning “on,” use the dative: degi, not dag.
Is the word order fixed? Can I move pieces around?
  • Neutral order: Subject – Verb – Indirect object – Direct object – Adverbial: Kennarinn kennir okkur íslensku á hverjum degi.
  • Icelandic main clauses are V2 (verb-second). If you front the time phrase, the finite verb must still be second: Á hverjum degi kennir kennarinn okkur íslensku.
  • Object order: default is dative-before-accusative. You can flip them for focus: … kennir íslensku okkur, but the original is more neutral.
Why isn’t íslensku capitalized?
  • Names of languages are not capitalized in Icelandic: íslenska, enska, franska, etc.
Other natural ways to say “every day”?
  • alla daga (accusative plural): Kennarinn kennir okkur íslensku alla daga.
  • daglega (adverb): Kennarinn kennir okkur íslensku daglega.
  • All are common; alla daga is very idiomatic.
How do you pronounce the tricky parts?
  • á = long “ow” (as in “cow”).
  • hv in hverjum is pronounced like “kv” [kver-yum].
  • degi: the g before i sounds like “y” ([DEY-yi]).
  • Double consonants are long: kennarinn [KEN-na-rin], okkur [OK-kur].
How would the sentence change for plural “teachers”?
  • Kennararnir kenna okkur íslensku á hverjum degi. (“the teachers teach…”)
  • Indefinite plural subject: Kennarar kenna…
Past or future versions?
  • Past: Kennarinn kenndi okkur íslensku á hverjum degi. (taught)
  • Future (with munu): Kennarinn mun kenna okkur íslensku á hverjum degi. (will teach)
  • Perfect: Kennarinn hefur kennt okkur íslensku á hverjum degi. (has taught)
Is oss ever used instead of okkur?
  • oss is an older/poetic form for “us.” Modern standard Icelandic uses okkur for both accusative and dative.
  • You might still encounter oss in archaic or very formal writing.
What’s the difference between kenna and læra?
  • kenna = to teach (someone something): Hún kennir okkur íslensku.
  • læra = to learn (something): Við lærum íslensku.
  • Don’t use kenna when you mean “learn.”
When should I use the definite kennarinn vs. indefinite kennari?
  • Use kennarinn when a specific teacher is understood from context (the one you’ve mentioned or both speakers know).
  • Use kennari for a generic or non-specific teacher.