Breakdown of Bíllinn stoppar á fjórum sekúndum.
bíllinn
the car
fjórir
four
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
stoppa
to stop (moving) / to stop (someone/something)
sekúndan
the second
Questions & Answers about Bíllinn stoppar á fjórum sekúndum.
Why is the number four written as fjórum here?
The preposition á triggers the dative case in this time expression. In Icelandic, the numbers 1 to 4 change their endings to match the case of the noun they describe. The great news is that in the dative case, the number 4 is exactly the same for all three genders: fjórum.
Doesn't á usually mean 'on'? Why is it translated as 'in'?
While á often means 'on' for physical locations, it is also used for time to show how long it takes to complete an action. When used this way, it translates to 'in' and forces the following words into the dative case.
Why does the word for seconds (sekúndum) end in -um?
Because it is in the dative plural! The base word is the feminine noun sekúnda (second). No matter what gender a noun is, it almost always ends in -um in the dative plural, making it a very reliable pattern to spot.
Is the verb stoppar related to the English word 'stop'?
Yes! The infinitive is stoppa, and it is a loanword that means exactly what it sounds like. Here it adds an -r because it is in the present tense matching the 'he/she/it' subject bíllinn (the car).
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