Word
Þrennir skór eru í kassanum.
Meaning
Three pairs of shoes are in the box.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Þrennir skór eru í kassanum.
vera
to be
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
kassinn
the box
skórinn
the shoe
Questions & Answers about Þrennir skór eru í kassanum.
Why do we use þrennir instead of the regular number three (þrír)?
Because shoes come in pairs. Icelandic uses a special set of numbers called distributive numerals (einir, tvennir, þrennir, fernir) when counting items that naturally come in pairs (like shoes, gloves, or ski poles), as well as for words that are always plural. If you used the regular number and said þrír skór, you would be saying there are exactly three individual shoes in the box, not three pairs!
How do I know which ending to put on þrennir?
Just like regular adjectives, distributive numerals have to agree with the noun's gender and case. The word skór is masculine, and in this sentence, it is the subject (nominative case). Therefore, you need the masculine nominative plural form, which is þrennir.
Doesn't skór mean "a shoe" in the singular? How can we tell it is plural here?
Yes, skór is one of those tricky masculine nouns where the nominative singular and the nominative plural are spelled exactly the same. However, the rest of the sentence gives it away: the verb eru (are) is plural, and the number þrennir is a plural form.
Why is the box kassanum rather than kassinn?