Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Fjölskyldan er uppi.
Why do we use uppi here instead of upp?
The word uppi describes a fixed position, meaning someone or something is already located up there. Upp is used for motion, like climbing up the stairs. Because the family is stationary in this sentence, we use uppi.
Does uppi always translate to upstairs?
It literally means up, but when talking about people or things inside a building, uppi is the standard way to say upstairs. If you wanted to say they were downstairs, you would use niðri.
Why does the word for family end in -n?
The base word is fjölskylda (a family). In Icelandic, you attach the word for the to the end of the noun. Since fjölskylda is a feminine noun ending in a vowel, it takes the -n ending to become fjölskyldan (the family).
Is fjölskyldan considered singular or plural in Icelandic?
It is a singular noun. Even though a family consists of multiple people, the grammatical word is singular. That is why we use the singular verb er (is) instead of the plural verb eru (are).