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Margir eru félagslyndir en aðrir eru feimnir.

Margir eru félagslyndir en aðrir eru feimnir.
Many are sociable, but others are shy.
From Lesson 143:Some and others (sumir, aðrir)·Icelandic

Breakdown of Margir eru félagslyndir en aðrir eru feimnir.

vera
to be
en
but
annar
other, another; second
margur
many
feiminn
shy
félagslyndur
sociable

Questions & Answers about Margir eru félagslyndir en aðrir eru feimnir.

The lesson focuses on sumir and aðrir, but this sentence starts with margir. Is that allowed?
Yes! While sumir means 'some', margir means 'many'. Both pair naturally with aðrir (others) to create a contrast. You can say Sumir eru... en aðrir... (Some are... but others...) just as easily as Margir eru... en aðrir... (Many are... but others...).
Why do all the descriptive words here (margir, félagslyndir, aðrir, feimnir) end in -ir?
That -ir ending tells us these words are in the masculine plural form. In Icelandic, when you are talking about people in general or a mixed group of men and women, you use the masculine plural as the default.
What exactly is aðrir the plural of?
It is the masculine plural of annar, which can mean 'other', 'another', or 'second'. When talking about a general group of 'others' in the plural, it becomes aðrir.
What is the dictionary form of feimnir (shy)?
The base form is feiminn. Adjectives that end in -inn often drop the second 'i' and add plural endings, which is why it becomes feimnir in the masculine plural instead of just adding a letter to the end.

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