Fólkið á safninu talar hljóðlátt.

to speak

Breakdown of Fólkið á safninu talar hljóðlátt.

• á: at
• safnið: the museum
• fólkið: the people

Questions & Answers about Fólkið á safninu talar hljóðlátt.

Why does fólkið mean the people when it looks singular?

Because fólk in Icelandic is a collective noun. Grammatically, it is singular and neuter, but in English we usually translate it with the plural word people.

So:

• fólk = people
• fólkið = the people

Even though the meaning is plural in English, Icelandic treats it as a singular noun in grammar.

Why is the verb talar singular?

Because the subject fólkið is grammatically singular.

• tala = to speak
• talar = speaks / is speaking

So Icelandic uses the 3rd person singular verb form with fólkið:

• Fólkið talar = the people speak

This feels unusual to English speakers, because English uses a plural verb with people, but Icelandic is following the grammar of fólk, not the English translation.

Is á safninu describing the people, or is it describing where they speak?