In Icelandic, the numbers 1 through 4 change their form depending on the case and gender of the noun they modify. In this lesson, the dative is triggered in two main ways:
- Verbs: Certain verbs govern the dative case, including svara (to answer), skila (to return), eyða (to spend [time]), and ljúka (to finish).
- Prepositions: When describing time intervals or durations, the prepositions í (in) and á (on/in) take the dative case.
The Number 1 in the Dative
The number one (einn) matches the gender of the singular noun it modifies. Its dative forms are:
- Masculine: einum
- Feminine: einni
- Neuter: einu
| She spends one month in Iceland. | Hún eyðir einum mánuði á Íslandi. |
| They finish the project in one night. | Þær ljúka verkefninu á einni nóttu. |
| Doesn't he answer one child? | Svarar hann ekki einu barni? |
The Numbers 2, 3, and 4 in the Dative
The numbers 2, 3, and 4 use a single dative form for all three genders:
- Two: tveimur
- Three: þremur
- Four: fjórum
Notice that they all end in -um. This is the exact same ending you will often see on the dative plural nouns they modify (like köflum, dögum, and börnum).
| We finish two chapters today. | Við ljúkum tveimur köflum í dag. |
| The book is in three chapters. | Bókin er í þremur köflum. |
| The car stops in four seconds. | Bíllinn stoppar á fjórum sekúndum. |
| Where do you spend three days? | Hvar eyðir þú þremur dögum? |
| We finish the project in four steps. | Við klárum verkefnið í fjórum skrefum. |
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