Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Tilboðið gefur tíu prósent afslátt.
Why is the article attached to the end of Tilboðið instead of being a separate word?
Icelandic uses a suffixed definite article. The base noun is tilboð (offer/deal, neuter). Adding -ið makes it definite: tilboðið = “the offer.” There is no separate word for “the.”
What case and gender is Tilboðið, and why?
Tilboðið is neuter singular nominative. It’s the subject of the sentence, so nominative is required. The base form tilboð is a neuter noun.
What form is gefur, and what are the key forms of the verb?
Gevur is 3rd person singular present of gefa (to give). The most useful principal parts: present 3sg gefur, past 3sg gaf, past participle gefið. Examples: Hann gefur, Hann gaf, Hann hefur gefið.
Why is it afslátt and not afsláttur?
Afsláttur (discount) is a masculine noun. As the direct object of gefa, it appears in the accusative singular: afslátt (the nominative is afsláttur).
Do the number tíu and the word prósent decline here?
- Tíu (ten) is indeclinable (numbers 5 and up don’t change form).
- Prósent is also indeclinable in this measure construction. So tíu prósent stays the same regardless of case in this sentence.
I’ve also seen tíu prósenta. Which is right: tíu prósent afslátt or tíu prósenta afslátt?
Both are acceptable, with a nuance:
- tíu prósent afslátt treats the percentage as a measure phrase.
- tíu prósenta afslátt(ur) uses a genitive plural modifier (like English “ten percent discount” as an attributive phrase). This genitive-plural pattern is also common with measure words (compare tíu ára barn “a ten-year-old child”).
Can I write it with the percent sign?
Yes, especially in advertising: Tilboðið gefur 10% afslátt. Spelling out tíu prósent is fine in running text.
How do I say “10 percent off the price”?
Use af + dative for “off (of)”:
- tíu prósenta afslátt af verði (off price, in general)
- tíu prósenta afslátt af verðinu (off the price, specific/definite)
How would I add an indirect object, like “The offer gives me a 10% discount”?
Put the recipient in the dative: Tilboðið gefur mér tíu prósent afslátt.
Are there common synonyms for gefa afslátt?
Yes:
- veita afslátt (to grant a discount)
- bjóða afslátt or bjóða upp á afslátt (to offer a discount) All are idiomatic.
Is the word order fixed, or can I front the discount for emphasis?
You can front for emphasis: Tíu prósent afslátt gefur tilboðið. Neutral word order is subject–verb–object: Tilboðið gefur tíu prósent afslátt.
How do I say “There is a 10% discount”?
Common options:
- Það er tíu prósenta afsláttur.
- Það er 10% afsláttur. If the discount is already known/specific: Afslátturinn er 10%.
What does tilboð mean in retail contexts? I see phrases like á tilboði.
Tilboð is “offer/deal/special.” The phrase á tilboði means “on sale.” For example: Varan er á tilboði = “The item is on sale.”
How would I make the subject plural: “The offers give 10% off”?
Neuter plural definite is tilboðin. So: Tilboðin gefa tíu prósent afslátt. (Note gefa is plural, matching the subject.)
Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky letters here?
- ð in tilboðið is like the voiced th in English “this” (because it’s between vowels).
- á in afslátt is like the vowel in English “cow.”
- ó in prósent is like a long close-mid “o” (similar to English “go,” but tenser). Primary stress falls on the first syllable of Icelandic words: TÍL-bo-ðið, AF-slátt, PRÓ-sent.