Questions & Answers about Strákurinn og stelpan kyssast úti.
Why does the verb kyssast end in -st?
This is the middle voice form of the base verb kyssa (to kiss). Adding -st here gives the verb a reciprocal meaning, which means the action is happening to each other. While kyssa means to kiss someone else, kyssast means to kiss each other.
Why is the verb in a plural form when both "boy" and "girl" are singular words?
Because the subjects strákurinn (the boy) and stelpan (the girl) are joined by og (and). Together they form a plural group (they), so the verb must take the plural form kyssast.
How does the sentence say "the" boy and "the" girl without using a separate word for "the"?
In Icelandic, the word for "the" (the definite article) is attached to the end of the noun instead of coming before it. The base word strákur (a boy) becomes strákurinn (the boy), and stelpa (a girl) becomes stelpan (the girl).
Why do we use úti for "outside" here instead of út?
Úti is a location word used when you are already situated outside, just like the boy and girl in this sentence. You would use út if there was movement from inside to outside, such as walking out the door.