Questions & Answers about Hér eru sex borgir og átta hlutir.
How do we get the plural form borgir from the singular word for city?
Borg is a feminine noun. Many feminine nouns that end in a consonant make their nominative plural by simply adding -ir, giving us borgir (cities).
Why does the plural masculine noun hlutir also end in -ir?
The singular word is hlutur (thing). For many masculine nouns ending in -ur, you have to drop that -ur ending and replace it with -ir to make the plural. So hlutur becomes hlutir.
Do the numbers sex and átta change their endings to match the gender of the nouns?
No. Unlike the numbers 1 through 4, which have different forms for masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns, numbers from 5 upwards (like sex and átta) stay exactly the same regardless of the noun's gender.
Why do we use eru instead of er at the beginning of the sentence?
Because the subjects of the sentence are plural. Eru is the plural form of the verb to be (are). If there was only one city or thing, we would use the singular form er (is).