Learn Icelandic: Hér er ein appelsína.

Hér er ein appelsína.

Here is one orange.

Breakdown of Hér er ein appelsína.

Questions & Answers about Hér er ein appelsína.

Why do we use ein here instead of the standard dictionary word einn?

The number one in Icelandic changes depending on the gender of the noun it counts. Because appelsína (orange) is a feminine word, we use the feminine form ein. If we were counting a masculine word, it would be einn.

How can I tell that appelsína is a feminine word?

Look at the ending! A huge number of Icelandic nouns that end in -a in their basic form are feminine. This is a very helpful shortcut to know when to use feminine words like ein.

Could ein appelsína also mean "an orange"?

Yes! Icelandic does not have a separate word for "a" or "an". Depending on the context, Hér er ein appelsína can mean "Here is ONE orange" or simply "Here is an orange".

If there were two oranges, would the number two also have a special feminine form?

It sure would. In Icelandic, the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 all change forms to match the gender of the noun. The feminine form of two is tvær, so "two oranges" would be tvær appelsínur.