Questions & Answers about Fimm mínútur eru ekki mikið.
How do we know the plural of mínúta is mínútur?
Mínúta is a feminine noun ending in -a. The standard rule for making these nouns plural in the nominative case is to drop the -a and add -ur, giving us mínútur.
Does the number fimm change to match the feminine noun?
No, it doesn't! In Icelandic, only the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 change forms to match masculine, feminine, or neuter nouns. The number fimm (five) and numbers above it stay exactly the same regardless of the noun's gender.
Why is eru used here when English often says 'five minutes IS not much'?
English sometimes treats a plural amount of time as one single block, using the singular verb 'is'. Icelandic is more literal here: because mínútur (minutes) is grammatically plural, the verb must also be the plural eru (are).
Wait, if mínútur is feminine plural, why is mikið in the neuter singular form?
This is a very common (and useful!) exception. When you describe a general quantity, distance, or amount of time, you don't match the adjective's gender and number to the noun. Instead, you just use the neutral default form, which is the neuter singular mikið (much).