Breakdown of Þau kaupa fjögur rúmstykki og stóran gosdrykk.
og
and
stór
big
þau
they (n)
kaupa
to buy
fjórir
four
gosdrykkurinn
the soft drink
rúmstykkið
the bread roll
Questions & Answers about Þau kaupa fjögur rúmstykki og stóran gosdrykk.
Why is the number four written as fjögur in this sentence?
In Icelandic, the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 change form to match the gender and case of the noun they count. rúmstykki is a neuter noun and the direct object (accusative case) of the verb kaupa (to buy). The neuter accusative form of the number four is fjögur.
Is rúmstykki singular or plural here?
It is plural. Many neuter nouns that end in -i, like rúmstykki, do not change their spelling in the plural. You have to look at the number fjögur to know it means four rolls instead of just one!
Why does the word for big, stóran, have an -an ending?
It is describing gosdrykk (soft drink), which is a masculine noun. Because the drink is being bought, it is in the accusative case (the receiver of the action). The adjective must match, so stór becomes the masculine accusative stóran.
What happens to the word gosdrykkur (soft drink) in this sentence?
The dictionary form is gosdrykkur. Since it is the direct object of the verb kaupa (buy), it takes the accusative case. For many masculine nouns ending in -ur, this simply means dropping the -ur ending, leaving us with gosdrykk.
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