Questions & Answers about Þeir eru mjög þreyttir.
Why use þeir for "they" instead of þær or þau?
Is the verb eru used for all plural pronouns like "are" is in English?
No. While English uses "are" for we, you, and they, Icelandic changes the verb for each plural pronoun. You use eru for "they" (þeir/þær/þau eru), but you must use erum for "we" (við erum) and eruð for the plural "you" (þið eruð).
Why does the word for tired end in -ir (þreyttir)?
Adjectives in Icelandic must match the gender and number of the person or thing they describe. Because the subject þeir is masculine and plural, the adjective takes the masculine plural ending -ir, making it þreyttir.
How would this sentence change if it were about a group of women?
The pronoun would change to the feminine plural þær. Then, the adjective must change to match it. Feminine plural adjectives usually end in -ar, so the sentence would become Þær eru mjög þreyttar.
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