Log inSign up

Afmælisbarnið blæs á kertin og hlær hátt.

Afmælisbarnið blæs á kertin og hlær hátt.
The birthday person blows out the candles and laughs loudly.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Icelandic now

Questions & Answers about Afmælisbarnið blæs á kertin og hlær hátt.

What does Afmælisbarnið literally mean, and how is it built?

Afmælisbarnið means the birthday child (i.e., the person whose birthday it is).

It’s a compound:

  • afmæli = birthday
  • barn = child
  • plus the definite ending -ið because barn is neuter: barnið = the child

So:

  • afmælisbarn = birthday child (indefinite)
  • afmælisbarnið = the birthday child (definite)
Why is the subject in the definite form (-ið) here?

Icelandic often uses the definite form when you mean a specific, known person/thing—similar to English the.

Here, in a birthday context, there is typically one salient person: the birthday child/person, so Afmælisbarnið is natural.

Indefinite would be possible in a different context:

  • Afmælisbarn blæs á kertin. = A birthday child blows on the candles (more generic/odd in a normal birthday scene)
What tense is blæs and what is its dictionary form?

blæs is present tense, 3rd person singular.

Dictionary form (infinitive): blása = to blow

A few useful forms:

  • infinitive: blása
  • present (he/she/it): blæs
  • past: blés
  • past participle: blásið
Why does Icelandic use blæs á (with á) instead of just the verb?

Because Icelandic commonly expresses blow on (something) as blása á (eitthvað).

So:

  • blása á kertin = blow on the candles

Without á, blása is more like to blow (air) in a general sense, and you’d typically still need some structure to show what’s being affected.

Related expressions you may see:

  • blása út = blow out (e.g., a candle/light)
  • blása í = blow into (something)
Why is it kերտin and not kerti?

kerti means candle, and it’s a neuter noun.

  • kerti = a candle / candles (context-dependent, because the plural is the same form)
  • kertin = the candles (definite plural)

Here it’s a specific set of candles (typically the ones on the cake), so the definite form kertin is used.

What case is kertin in after á, and how can I tell?

After á, the case depends on meaning:

  • á + accusative often expresses direction/target (movement toward / action onto)
  • á + dative often expresses location (being on)

In blása á, the candles are the target of the blowing, so á takes the accusative.

For kerti, nominative and accusative plural look the same (kerti), and the definite ending -n gives kertin, which works here as accusative plural definite.

Why are there two verbs (blæs … hlær) but only one subject?

Because the subject Afmælisbarnið applies to both coordinated verbs:

  • Afmælisbarnið blæs á kertin og hlær hátt. = The birthday child blows on the candles and laughs loudly.

This is like English: you don’t normally repeat the subject unless you want emphasis or contrast.

What is the dictionary form of hlær, and is it irregular?

hlær is the present tense (3rd person singular) of hlæja = to laugh.

It is somewhat irregular in its past tense:

  • infinitive: hlæja
  • present: hlær
  • past: hló
  • past participle: hlegið
Why is hátt used for loudly—isn’t that an adjective?

hátt is the adverbial use of the adjective hár (high, and by extension loud in certain expressions).

Icelandic often uses the neuter singular form as an adverb-like form, especially in fixed patterns:

  • hlæja hátt = laugh loudly
  • tala hátt = speak loudly

So hátt here functions like an adverb even though it looks like an adjective form.

What’s the word order doing here—does Icelandic require the verb to be second?

In main clauses Icelandic typically follows a V2 (verb-second) pattern: the finite verb tends to be in the second “slot.”

Here: 1) Afmælisbarnið (subject) 2) blæs (finite verb) then the rest: á kertin og hlær hátt

So yes, this sentence fits the common main-clause pattern.

How would you pronounce tricky parts like Afmælisbarnið, blæs, and hlær?

A practical pronunciation guide (approximate):

  • Afmælisbarnið: stress is on the first syllable: AF-mæ-lis-bar-nith
    • æ is like i in bite (often close to ai)
    • final -ið is often like a soft -ith sound (the ð is very light)
  • blæs: roughly blaiss (with æ ~ ai)
  • hlær: the hl- starts with a voiceless l (a “breathy l”); roughly lair (again æ ~ ai)