Faroese grammar

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Faroese grammar is related and very similar to that of Icelandic. Faroese is an inflected language with three grammatical genders and four cases: nominative, accusative, dative and genitive.

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Noun inflection

Below is a representation of three grammatical genders, two numbers and four cases in the nominal inflection. This is just an overview to give a general idea of how the grammar works. Faroese actually has even more declensions. In modern Faroese, the genitive has a very limited use (and possession is mostly expressed with various prepositional phrases instead). For most native speakers, the genitive is a learned and somewhat stilted form as opposed to the other cases which are learned naturally in regular colloquial situations.

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In the plural you will see that even the numeral tvey (2) is inflected.

Indefinite phrases
Singular ?Masculine ?Feminine ?Neuter
Nominativehvør?ein stórur báturhvør?ein vøkur gentahvat?eitt gott barn
Accusativehvønn?ein stóran báthvørja?eina vakra gentuhvat?eitt gott barn
Dativehvørjum?einum stórum bátihvørj(ar)i?einari vakari gentuhvørjum?einum góðum barni
Genitivehvørs?(eins stórs báts)hvørjar?(einar vakrar gentu)hvørs?(eins góðs barns)
Plural ?Masculine ?Feminine ?Neuter
Nominativehvørjir?tveir stórir bátarhvørjar?tvær vakrar genturhvørji?tvey góð børn
Accusativehvørjar?tveir stórar bátarhvørjar?tvær vakrar genturhvørji?tvey góð børn
Dativehvørjum?tveimum stórum bátumhvørjum?tveimum vøkrum gentumhvørjum?tveimum góðum børnum
Genitivehvørja?(tveggja stóra báta)hvørja?(tveggja vakra genta)hvørja?(tveggja góða barna)

If the noun is definite, the adjective inflects weak, and the noun gets a suffix article as in any Scandinavian language (although Icelandic does not generally need a pre-posed definite article in this construction).

The interrogative pronoun is the same as above. In the plural, the plural form of the definite article is used.

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Definite phrases
SingularMasculineFeminineNeuter
Nominativetann stóri báturintann vakra gentantað góða barn
Accusativetann stóra bátinta vøkru gentunatað góða barn
Dativetí stóra bátinumtí vøkru gentunití góða barninum
Genitive(tess stóra bátsins)(teirrar vøkru gentunnar)(tess góða barnsins)
PluralMasculineFeminineNeuter
Nominativeteir stóru bátarnirtær vøkru genturnartey góðu børnini
Accusativeteir stóru bátarnartær vøkru genturnartey góðu børnini
Dativeteimum stóru bátunumteimum vøkru gentunumteimum góðu børnunum
Genitive(teirra stóru bátanna)(teirra vøkru gentunna)(teirra góðu barnanna)

Personal Pronouns

The personal pronouns of Faroese are:

Personal pronouns
Singular1.2.3. m3. f3. n
Nominativeeghannhontað
Accusativemegteghana
Dativemærtærhonumhenni
Genitivemíntínhansarahennaratess
Plural1.2.3. m3. f3. n
Nominativevittitteirtærtey
Accusativeokkumtykkum
Dativeteimum
Genitiveokkaratykkarateirra

Singular

Plural

The 3rd person plural neuter tey will be used in all cases when both genders are meant, as in:

Verbs

Weak Inflection

There are 4 classes of weak inflection of verbs (with some underclasses). E.g.:

  1. stem-final -a, 2–3.pers.sg. -r – kalla! (imperative), tú/hann kalla-r (you/he call(s))
  2. 2–3.pers.sg. -ur – tú/hann selur (you/he sell(s))
  3. 2–3.pers.sg. -ir – tú/hann dømir (you/he judge(s))
  4. 2. pers.sg. -rt – tú rørt (you row). In certain surroundings, skerping occurs: eg rógvi[eːɹɛɡvɪ], I row; vs. eg róði[eːɹɔuwɪ], I rowed.
Weak Inflection
Infinitive1. kalla2. selja3. døma4. rógva
SingularPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPast
1st pers.kallikallaðiseljiseldidømidømdirógviði
2nd pers.kallarkallaðiselurseldidømirdømdirtði
3rd pers.kallarkallaðiselurseldidømirdømdirði
PluralPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPast
1st, 2nd, 3rd pers.kallakallaðuseljaseldudømadømdurógvaðu
Supine kallaðseltdømtð

Strong Inflection

These verbs are also referred to as regular. There are 7 classes (with underclasses), distinguished by the variations of the stem-vowel:

  1. í – í – ei – i- i; – at bíta – hann bítur – hann beit – teir bitu – teir hava bitið (bite)
  2. ó/ú – ý – ey – u- o; – at bróta – hann brýtur – hann breyt – teir brutu – teir hava brotið (break)
  3. e/i/ø – i – a – u- o/u; – at svimja – hann svimur – hann svam – teir svumu – teir hava svomið (swim)
  4. e/o – e – a – ó – o; – at bera – hann ber – hann bar – teir bóru – teir hava borið (bear)
    • o – e – o – o – o; – at koma – hann kemur – hann kom – teir komu – teir hava komið (come)
  5. e/i – e/i – a/á – ó – i; – at liggja – hann liggur – hann lá – teir lógu – teir hava ligið (lie)
  6. a – e – ó – ó – a; – at fara – hann fer – hann fór – teir fóru – teir hava farið (go)
  7. a/á – æ – e – i – i; – at fáa – hann fær – hann fekk – teir fingu – teir hava fingið (get)
Strong Inflection
Infinitive1. bíta2. bróta3. svimja4. koma5. liggja6. fara7. fáa
SingularPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPast
1st pers.bítibeitbrótibreytsvimjisvamkomikomliggifarifórifekk
2nd pers.bíturbeitstbrýturbreytstsvimursvamstkemurkomstliggurstfertfórtfærtfekst
3rd pers.bíturbeitbrýturbreytsvimursvamkemurkomliggurferfórfærfekk
PluralPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPast
1st, 2nd, 3rd pers.bítabitubrótabrutusvimjasvumukomakomuliggjalógufarafóruafingu
Supine bitbrotsvomkomligfarfing

Auxiliary verbs

The auxiliary verbs in Faroese are:

Auxiliary verbs
Infinitive1. vera2. hava3. verða4. blíva
SingularPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPast
1st pers.erivarhavihevðiverðivarðblívibleiv
2nd pers.ertvarthevurhevðiverðurvarðstblívurbleivst
3rd pers.ervarhevurhevðiverðurvarðblívurbleiv
PluralPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPast
1st, 2nd, 3rd pers.eruvóruhavahøvduverðavórðublívablivu
Supine verhavtverðbliv

Note, that vera and verða are homonyms.

Preterite-present verbs

The preterite-present verbs in Faroese are the following:

Preterite-present verbs
Infinitive1. kunna2. munna3. mega4. skula5. vita6. vilja
SingularPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPast
1st pers.kannkundimanmundittiskalskuldiveitvistivilvildi
2nd pers.kanstkundimanstmundistttiskaltskuldiveitstvistiviltvildi
3rd pers.kannkundimanmundittiskalskuldiveitvistivilvildi
PluralPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPastPresentPast
1st, 2nd, 3rd pers.kunnu/
kunna
kundumunnu/
munna
mundumugu/
mega
ttuskulu/
skula
skulduvitavistuviljavildu
Supine kunnmunnmegskulvitvilj

Adjectives

Most adjectives inflect for gender, number, case and definitiveness, and for positive, comparative and superlative.

Adverbs

Many adverbs inflect in positive, comparative and superlative.

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