In Icelandic, making an indefinite noun plural means changing or adding a suffix. The most common plural endings for the nominative case (the subject of a sentence) are -ar, -ir, and -ur.
Which ending a noun takes depends on its gender and singular form:
| Gender | Singular | Plural | Ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | hestur | hestar | -ar |
| Masculine | gestur | gestir | -ir |
| Feminine | vika | vikur | -ur |
| Feminine | borg | borgir | -ir |
| Feminine | vél | vélar | -ar |
Masculine Nouns: -ar and -ir
Most masculine nouns take -ar. Drop any singular ending (like -ur, -i, or -ir) before adding the plural suffix.
| There are five horses outside. | Það eru fimm hestar úti. |
| Are good days coming soon? | Koma góðir dagar bráðum? |
Some masculine nouns take -ir instead.
| Here are eight guests now. | Hér eru átta gestir núna. |
| These are very old things. | Þetta eru mjög gamlir hlutir. |
Feminine Nouns: -ur, -ir, and -ar
Feminine nouns ending in -a drop it and add -ur.
| These are six weeks. | Þetta eru sex vikur. |
| Five minutes are not much. | Fimm mínútur eru ekki mikið. |
Feminine nouns ending in a consonant usually take -ir or -ar.
| Cities in Iceland are big. | Borgir á Íslandi eru stórar. |
| These are big questions. | Þetta eru stórar spurningar. |
| New machines are good. | Nýjar vélar eru góðar. |
Neuter Nouns
Neuter nouns are the easiest: they do not take an ending in the nominative plural! A bare neuter noun like hús (house) stays hús (houses) in the plural.
Here are examples combining different plural endings:
| These are five minutes, not ten hours. | Þetta eru fimm mínútur, ekki tíu tímar. |
| Here are six cities and eight things. | Hér eru sex borgir og átta hlutir. |
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