Breakdown of Hún á ellefu hesta.
hún
she
hesturinn
the horse (m)
eiga
to own / to have (a relationship)
ellefu
eleven
Questions & Answers about Hún á ellefu hesta.
Does the number ellefu change depending on the gender or case of the horses?
No, it stays exactly the same! In Icelandic, the numbers 1 through 4 change to match the gender and case of the noun they describe. However, the numbers 11 to 20 are completely indeclinable, meaning ellefu is always ellefu no matter what it is counting.
Why do we use á (from eiga) here instead of hefur (from hafa) for "has"?
In Icelandic, eiga is used to talk about owning or possessing things, including pets and animals. Hafa is mostly used as a helper verb (like "I have eaten") or for abstract things (like having an idea or a cold). Since she owns the horses, á is the right choice.
Why is the word for horses hesta instead of hestar?
Hesta is in the accusative case here. The verb eiga forces the thing being owned (the direct object) to be in the accusative case. Since hestur (horse) is a masculine noun, its accusative plural form is hesta.
How do I pronounce the double L in ellefu?
Like most double Ls in Icelandic, it makes a crisp "tl" or "dl" sound. So ellefu is pronounced roughly like "et-le-vuh".
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