Learn Icelandic: Kennarinn kenndi mér hvað orðið þýddi. - The teacher taught me what the word meant.

Kenna is a weak verb. To make the simple past tense, we take the stem kenn- and add the suffix -di. Since kennarinn (the teacher) is a third-person singular subject (he/she), the exact form is kenndi.

Why does þýddi have a double 'd' if the infinitive is þýða?

Þýða is a weak verb, so we make it past tense by adding -di to the stem. However, when we attach -di to a stem ending in ð (like þýð-), the ð turns into a d to make it easier to pronounce. This gives us the double 'd' in þýddi (meant).

Why is the word for "me" mér here instead of mig?

The verb kenna (to teach) requires the person receiving the teaching to be in the dative case. Therefore, we must use mér, which is the dative form of ég (I), rather than the accusative form mig.

How do the definite articles (the) work on kennarinn and orðið?