Word
Hún er með þriggja ára háskólagráðu.
Meaning
She has a three-year university degree.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about Hún er með þriggja ára háskólagráðu.
Why are þriggja and ára in the genitive case?
In Icelandic, when you describe the duration, age, or size of a noun, you use a genitive measure phrase. Here, the phrase þriggja ára acts like an adjective to describe the háskólagráðu.
How does the number three change in this sentence?
Numbers from one to four change their endings based on case and gender. Because ára is the genitive plural of ár, the number three must also be in the genitive. The genitive form of three is þriggja for all genders.
Why is háskólagráðu in the accusative case?
The preposition með forces the noun that follows it into the accusative case when it means having or possessing something. The dictionary form is háskólagráða, which becomes háskólagráðu in the accusative.
Why use er með instead of the verb hefur to mean she has?
While hún hefur is grammatically correct, Icelandic frequently uses the phrase vera með to express having or possessing something. This is very common for physical objects, traits, and qualifications like a degree.