Forvarnir eru mikilvægar.

to be

Breakdown of Forvarnir eru mikilvægar.

• mikilvægur: important
• forvarnir: prevention

Questions & Answers about Forvarnir eru mikilvægar.

Why is forvarnir plural when English often says prevention as a singular idea?

In Icelandic, forvarnir is very commonly used in the plural, even when the meaning is the general idea of prevention. So although English often says Prevention is important, Icelandic naturally says Forvarnir eru mikilvægar, literally something like Preventive measures are important.

This is one of those places where Icelandic and English organize the idea differently. A learner should treat forvarnir as a word that is usually plural in this meaning.

What is the singular form of forvarnir?

The singular is forvörn.

• forvörn = a preventive measure / prevention in the singular
• forvarnir = preventive measures / prevention in the general sense

In real usage, the plural forvarnir is much more common when talking about prevention as a field or general concept.

Why does the sentence use eru and not er?

Because forvarnir is grammatically plural.

The verb vera (to be) changes according to number:

• er = is for singular
• eru = are for plural

So:

• Forvörn er mikilvæg. = A preventive measure / prevention is important.
• Forvarnir eru mikilvægar. = Prevention / preventive measures are important.

Even if the English meaning feels singular, Icelandic grammar follows the plural noun.