Questions & Answers about Við erum þrír vinir.
Why is the word for "three" þrír here instead of another form like þrjú?
In Icelandic, the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 change their ending to match the gender of the noun they are counting. The word for a friend (vinur) is masculine, so we must use the masculine form of three, which is þrír. If we were counting neuter nouns, we would use þrjú instead.
How does the word vinir show that there is more than one friend?
The singular word for a friend is vinur. A very common pattern for masculine nouns ending in -ur is to drop that ending and replace it with -ir to make it plural. So, vinur becomes vinir.
Does the pronoun við (we) change if the group of friends are all women?
No, it doesn't! While the number three (þrír) changes based on gender, the first-person pronoun við (we) always stays exactly the same, regardless of the gender of the people in the group.
Why is the verb erum used here?
Erum is the form of the verb að vera (to be) that pairs specifically with við (we). In Icelandic, verbs change based on who is doing the action. While "they are" would be þeir eru, "we are" is always við erum.
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