Breakdown of Kennarinn hefur reynslu og þolinmæði.
og
and
kennarinn
the teacher
hafa
to have
reynslan
the experience
þolinmæðin
the patience
Questions & Answers about Kennarinn hefur reynslu og þolinmæði.
Why do we use hefur for "has" instead of er með?
In Icelandic, the verb hafa (to have) is used for abstract concepts you possess, like experience (reynslu) and patience (þolinmæði). For physical objects you can hold or carry, you usually use the phrase vera með (to be with).
Is hefur a regular verb?
No, hafa is an irregular verb. Even though the dictionary form is hafa, the vowel changes in the singular present tense. For kennarinn (the teacher, a third-person subject), the correct form is hefur.
Why does the dictionary say the word for experience is reynsla, but here it is reynslu?
The verb hafa forces the things being had into the accusative case (the object case). Most feminine nouns that end in -a change their ending to -u in the accusative case, so reynsla becomes reynslu.
How do we know kennarinn means "the teacher" and not just "a teacher"?
In Icelandic, the word for "the" is attached to the end of the noun. The base word is kennari (a teacher). By adding the masculine definite article ending -nn, it becomes kennarinn (the teacher).
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