Breakdown of Hér eru tvö sæti, þrjú skilti og fjögur kerti.
vera
to be
hér
here
og
and
tveir
two
þrír
three
fjórir
four
sætið
the seat
skiltið
the sign
kertið
the candle
Questions & Answers about Hér eru tvö sæti, þrjú skilti og fjögur kerti.
Why are we using tvö, þrjú, and fjögur instead of tveir, þrír, and fjórir?
In Icelandic, the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 change their form to match the gender of the things they are counting. The words sæti (seat), skilti (sign), and kerti (candle) are all neuter nouns. Therefore, we use the neuter forms of the numbers: tvö (two), þrjú (three), and fjögur (four).
Why do sæti, skilti, and kerti look exactly the same as their singular forms?
That is a special rule for neuter nouns! If a neuter noun ends in a vowel (like the -i at the end of these three words), it does not change its spelling when it becomes plural. You rely on context clues, like the numbers in front of them and the plural verb eru (are), to know there is more than one.
If the nouns do not change, how would I say 'Here is one seat'?
You would change the verb and the number to singular. 'Here is one seat' translates to Hér er eitt sæti. Notice how eru (are) becomes er (is), and we use the singular neuter number eitt (one).
Will I have to learn different gender forms for numbers like five or ten, too?
Thankfully, no! Only the numbers 1 through 4 change to match the gender of the noun. From 5 onward, the numbers stay exactly the same regardless of what you are counting.
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