Questions & Answers about Hún þekkir sextán kennara.
Does the word sextán change its ending to match the noun?
No. Unlike the numbers 1 through 4, the numbers 11 through 20 do not change their form to match the gender or case of the noun they describe. They always stay exactly the same, so sextán is used no matter what.
Why use þekkir for "knows" instead of veit?
In Icelandic, þekkja is used when you know or are familiar with a person, place, or thing. Vita is used for knowing facts or information. Since she knows teachers (people), þekkir is the right choice.
Why does the word for teachers end in "-a" (kennara) here?
The verb þekkja causes the object of the sentence to be in the accusative case. The base word is kennari (teacher). In the plural, the subject (nominative) form is kennarar, but the object (accusative) form drops the final "r" to become kennara.
Do all the "teen" numbers end with the same letter á?
Yes! The numbers 13 through 19 all end with -tán (or -tján). The accent mark on the á is very important because it changes the vowel sound from an "ah" sound to an "ow" sound.