Breakdown of Níu konur tala saman úti.
konan
the woman
úti
outside
saman
together / on end (after a dative plural time noun)
tala
to speak
níu
nine
Questions & Answers about Níu konur tala saman úti.
Does the number níu change depending on the gender of konur?
No, it doesn't. In Icelandic, only the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 change to match the gender of what you are counting. Numbers from 5 onwards, like níu (nine), stay exactly the same for masculine, feminine, and neuter words.
I know the word for "woman" is kona. How does it become konur?
In Icelandic, many feminine nouns that end in -a in the singular change that ending to -ur to become plural. So, kona (woman) simply drops the -a and adds -ur to become konur (women).
Why is the verb tala here instead of talar?
Because there are multiple women doing the talking. If it were just one woman, it would be talar (she talks). But for plural subjects like "we", "you all", or "they", this verb takes the form tala.
Why do we need the word saman (together) here?
While "Níu konur tala úti" makes perfect sense, adding saman (together) is the most natural way in Icelandic to show they are having a conversation with each other, rather than just speaking generally.
What is the difference between úti and út for "outside"?
You use úti when something is already outside and staying in that location (like these women having a conversation). You use út to describe movement, like when someone is walking from the inside to the outside.
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