Learn Icelandic: Bróðir minn er þrettán ára. - My brother is thirteen years old.

Bróðir minn er þrettán ára.

My brother is thirteen years old.

Breakdown of Bróðir minn er þrettán ára.

my (m, f, n: minn, mín, mitt)

árið

the year

Questions & Answers about Bróðir minn er þrettán ára.

Does the number þrettán change its ending depending on who we are talking about, like the numbers 1-4 do?

Good news! Unlike the numbers 1 to 4, the numbers 11 through 20 do not change for gender. So þrettán stays exactly the same whether you are talking about a masculine word like bróðir, a feminine word, or a neuter word.

Why is the word for 'years' ára instead of just ár?

In Icelandic, age is expressed using the genitive (possessive) case. You are literally saying your brother is thirteen 'of years'. Ára is the genitive plural form of the word ár (year). You will use ára whenever you state someone's age in years.

Why is it Bróðir minn instead of Minn bróðir?

In Icelandic, possessive words like minn (my) normally come after the noun. Putting it before the noun (minn bróðir) is grammatically possible but sounds very emphatic, as if you are stressing 'MY brother' compared to someone else's.

Shouldn't it be bróðirinn minn with the 'the' ending attached to the noun?

Usually, nouns do take the definite article ('the' ending) before a possessive, like bíllinn minn (my car). However, close family members are a special exception. Words like bróðir (brother), móðir (mother), and faðir (father) stay indefinite when followed by a possessive word.