Questions & Answers about Hún kaupir brauðið.
Why does the verb kaupa become kaupir here?
Kaupa (to buy) belongs to Group 2 of Icelandic verbs. In the present tense for hún (she), hann (he), and það (it), Group 2 verbs take the ending -ir, unlike Group 1 verbs which take -ar.
Does kaupir mean "buys" or "is buying"?
It means both! Icelandic does not have a separate continuous tense like English does. Depending on the context, Hún kaupir translates to either "She buys" or "She is buying".
Where is the word for "the" in this sentence?
Is brauðið in the accusative case since it is the object being bought?
Yes, it is! The verb kaupa forces the thing being bought into the accusative case. However, because brauð is a neuter word, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its basic dictionary form.
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