Questions & Answers about Afi er með hvítt skegg.
Why does the sentence use er með (is with) instead of a verb for "has"?
In Icelandic, you use the phrase vera með (to be with) to talk about physical features, like having a beard, hair, or certain eye colors. You also use it for things you are currently holding or wearing. The actual verb for "to have", hafa, is mostly used for abstract things, like having time or having an idea.
Why is the word for white written as hvítt instead of hvítur?
Adjectives in Icelandic change their endings to match the gender of the noun they describe. The word for beard, skegg, is a neuter noun. Because of this, the adjective takes the neuter form hvítt instead of the masculine hvítur or feminine hvít.
Does the preposition með change the case of the words that follow it here?
Yes, when með means "with" in the sense of having, carrying, or wearing something, it forces the following noun into the accusative case. Fortunately, because skegg is a neuter noun, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its basic dictionary form.
Why does it just say Afi instead of Afinn (the grandfather)?
When Icelanders talk about their own family members, they usually leave off the definite article (the "the" ending). This is exactly like how we say "Grandpa has a beard" in English instead of "The grandpa has a beard".
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