Breakdown of Hjúkrunarfræðingurinn mælir stærð höfuðsins.
stærðin
the size (f)
mæla
to measure
höfuðið
the head
hjúkrunarfræðingurinn
the nurse
Questions & Answers about Hjúkrunarfræðingurinn mælir stærð höfuðsins.
How do we get the ending -sins on höfuðsins?
Höfuð (head) is a neuter noun. First, we form the genitive case (meaning "of a head") by adding -s, making it höfuðs. Then, to say "of the head", we attach the neuter definite article -ins. Together, they form höfuðsins.
Why is there no Icelandic word for "of" in this sentence?
Icelandic usually expresses "of" by putting the second noun in the genitive case, rather than using a separate preposition. By putting höfuðsins (which inherently means "of the head") right after stærð (size), we get "the size of the head".
Why isn't stærð in the definite form if the English translation says "the size"?
In Icelandic, when you link two nouns together using the genitive case to show possession or relationship (like "size of the head"), the first noun (stærð) usually stays indefinite. The definite article on the second noun (höfuðsins) is powerful enough to make the whole phrase specific.
Hjúkrunarfræðingurinn is a huge word! How does it break down?
It's a great example of how Icelandic builds words! It combines hjúkrun (nursing), changed to its genitive form hjúkrunar ("of nursing"), with fræðingur (scholar or specialist). Finally, -inn is the masculine definite article ("the"), making the literal translation "the specialist of nursing" — or "the nurse".
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