Definite Article
The definite article always uses the same number of "n" which means that it doesn't matter whether it's added as a suffix to the word or written as a separate word.
Example:
- Separate word: Hin skemmtilega kona. - "The funny woman"
- Suffixed: Skemmtilega konan.
Example:
- Separate word: Hinn hávaxni maður. - "The tall man"
- Suffixed: Hávaxni maðurinn.
Two "n" are used whenever a possessive pronoun has got "i" (minni, minnar, minn, minna..).
One "n" is used whenever a possessive pronoun has got' 'í' (mínum, míns, mína, mín..).
The number of "n" in a possessive pronoun always corresponds to the number of "n" of the definite article of the same form:
Example:
- Hesturinn. → Minn hestur. - "The horse" → "My horse" (Nom. Sg. Masc.)
- Hestinum. → Mínum hesti. - "To the horse" → "To my horse" (Dat. Sg. Masc.)
- Ákvarðananna. → Minna ákvarðana. - "Of the choices" → "Of my choices" (Gen. Pl. Fem.)
Read more about this topic: N-rule
Famous quotes containing the words definite and/or article:
“Slowly, and in spite of anything we Americans do or do not do, it looks a little as if you and some other good people are going to have to answer the old question of whether you want to keep your country unshackled by taking even more definite steps to do so—even firing shots—or, on the other hand, submitting to be shackled for the sake of not losing one American life.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“Be assured that it gives much more pain to the mind to be in debt, than to do without any article whatever which we may seem to want.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)