Icelandic
nouns have four
cases. Finding the correct form of the word is called
declension. This is a simple declension table for the word
lamb:
Nobody actually remembers this table by heart, instead people construct some sentence where only a particular case can fit, and see what their own sense of the language tells them.
The helper sentences you use for this are:
- hér er = here is. This sentence will always need a word in the nominative case (the first case).
- um = about. This word will always need a word in the accusative case (the second case).
- frá = from. This word will always need a word in the dative case (the third case).
- til = to. This word will always need a word in the genitive case (the fourth case).
And since the declension table is always shown in the same order, we fill in our table like so:
When declining words that are plural, you switch “hér er” out with “hér er
u”:
See also