Question 1

Why is the word for "four" fjögurra here instead of fjögur?

Accepted Answer

It is in the genitive case because it shows a relationship, translating to "of four". The number four changes form depending on the case, and fjögurra is the genitive form used for all three genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter).

Question 2

What case is barna and how does it relate to fjögurra?

Accepted Answer

barna is the genitive plural form of the neuter noun barn (child). Numbers from 1 to 4 must always agree in case with the noun they describe. Because the sentence requires the genitive for the children, both the noun and the number take their genitive plural forms.

Question 3

Why do we use the genitive case here rather than a preposition like "af"?

Accepted Answer

In Icelandic, family relationships such as "mother of" or "son of" are usually expressed directly with the genitive case rather than using a preposition. It functions just like the English possessive, as if you were saying "four children's mother".

Question 4

The English translation says "a mother". Why is there no word for "a" before móðir?

Accepted Answer

Icelandic does not have an indefinite article like "a" or "an" in English. You just use the bare noun, so móðir naturally translates to "a mother" depending on the context of the sentence.

Er hún móðir fjögurra barna?

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