Grammar of the Faroese language
Faroese grammar is typical of a North Germanic language; Faroese is an inflected language with three grammatical genders and four cases: nominative, accusative, dative and genitive.
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.
Read:
In the plural you will see that even the numeral tvey (2) is inflected.
Indefinite phrases
|
Singular
|
?
|
Masculine
|
?
|
Feminine
|
?
|
Neuter
|
Nominative
|
hvør?
|
ein stórur bátur
|
hvør?
|
ein vøkur genta
|
hvat?
|
eitt gott barn
|
Accusative
|
hvønn?
|
ein stóran bát
|
hvørja?
|
eina vakra gentu
|
hvat?
|
eitt gott barn
|
Dative
|
hvørjum?
|
einum stórum báti
|
hvørj(ar)i?
|
einari vakari gentu
|
hvørjum?
|
einum góðum barni
|
Genitive
|
hvørs?
|
(eins stórs báts)
|
hvørjar?
|
(einar vakrar gentu)
|
hvørs?
|
(eins góðs barns)
|
|
Plural
|
?
|
Masculine
|
?
|
Feminine
|
?
|
Neuter
|
Nominative
|
hvørjir?
|
tveir stórir bátar
|
hvørjar?
|
tvær vakrar gentur
|
hvørji?
|
tvey góð børn
|
Accusative
|
hvørjar?
|
tveir stórar bátar
|
hvørjar?
|
tvær vakrar gentur
|
hvørji?
|
tvey góð børn
|
Dative
|
hvørjum?
|
tveimum stórum bátum
|
hvørjum?
|
tveimum vøkrum gentum
|
hvørjum?
|
tveimum góðum børnum
|
Genitive
|
hvørja?
|
(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.
Read:
- tann stóri báturin – the big boat-the
- tann vakra gentan – the beautiful girl-the
- tað góða barnið – the good child-the
Definite phrases
|
Singular
|
Masculine
|
Feminine
|
Neuter
|
Nominative
|
tann stóri báturin
|
tann vakra gentan
|
tað góða barnið
|
Accusative
|
tann stóra bátin
|
ta vøkru gentuna
|
tað góða barnið
|
Dative
|
tí stóra bátinum
|
tí vøkru gentuni
|
tí góða barninum
|
Genitive
|
(tess stóra bátsins)
|
(teirrar vøkru gentunnar)
|
(tess góða barnsins)
|
|
Plural
|
Masculine
|
Feminine
|
Neuter
|
Nominative
|
teir stóru bátarnir
|
tær vøkru genturnar
|
tey góðu børnini
|
Accusative
|
teir stóru bátarnar
|
tær vøkru genturnar
|
tey góðu børnini
|
Dative
|
teimum stóru bátunum
|
teimum vøkru gentunum
|
teimum góðu børnunum
|
Genitive
|
(teirra stóru bátanna)
|
(teirra vøkru gentunna)
|
(teirra góðu barnanna)
|
Personal Pronouns
The personal pronouns of Faroese are:
Personal pronouns
|
Singular
|
1.
|
2.
|
3. m
|
3. f
|
3. n
|
Nominative
|
eg
|
tú
|
hann
|
hon
|
tað
|
Accusative
|
meg
|
teg
|
hana
|
Dative
|
mær
|
tær
|
honum
|
henni
|
tí
|
Genitive
|
mín
|
tín
|
hansara
|
hennara
|
tess
|
|
Plural
|
1.
|
2.
|
3. m
|
3. f
|
3. n
|
Nominative
|
vit
|
tit
|
teir
|
tær
|
tey
|
Accusative
|
okkum
|
tykkum
|
Dative
|
teimum
|
Genitive
|
okkara
|
tykkara
|
teirra
|
Singular
- 1st person: eg [eː] – I, meg [meː] – me (acc.), mær [mɛaɹ] – me (dat.), mín [mʊin] – my
- 2nd person: tú [tʉu] – you, teg [teː] – you (acc.), tær [tɛaɹ] – you (dat.), tín [tʊin] – your (gen.)
- 3rd person masculine: hann [hanː] – he, him (nom., acc.), honum [ˈhoːnʊn] – him (dat.), hansara [ˈhansaɹa] – his (gen.)
- 3rd person feminine: hon [hoːn] – she, hana [ˈhɛana] – her (acc.), henni [hɛnːɪ] – her (dat.), hennara [ˈhɛnːaɹa] – her (gen.)
- 3rd person neuter: tað [tɛa] – it (nom., acc.), tí [tʊi] – it (dat.), tess [tɛsː] – its (gen.)
Plural
- 1st person: vit [viːt] – we, okkum [ɔʰkːʊn] – us (acc., dat.), okkara [ˈɔʰkːaɹa] – our (gen.)
- 2nd person: tit [tiːt] – you (pl.), tykkum [ˈtɪʰkːʊn] – you (acc., dat. pl.) tykkara [ˈtɪʰkːaɹa] – your (gen. pl.)
- 3rd person masculine: teir [taiɹ]~[tɔiɹ] – they, them (m. nom., acc.), teimum [ˈtaimʊn]~[ˈtɔimʊn] – them (dat.), teirra [ˈtaiɹːa]~[ˈtɔiɹːa] – their (gen.)
- 3rd person feminine: tær [tɛaɹ] – they, them (f. nom., acc.)
- 3rd person neuter: tey [tɛi] – they, them (n. nom., acc.)
The 3rd person plural neuter tey will be used in all cases when both genders are meant, as in:
- teir eru onglendingar – they are Englishmen (about males)
- tær eru føroyingar – they are Faroese (about females)
- tey eru fólk úr Evropa – they are people from Europe (both sexes)
Verbs
Weak Inflection
There are 4 classes of weak inflection of verbs (with some underclasses). E.g.:
- stem-final -a, 2–3.pers.sg. -r – kalla! (imperative), tú/hann kalla-r (you/he call(s))
- 2–3.pers.sg. -ur – tú/hann selur (you/he sell(s))
- 2–3.pers.sg. -ir – tú/hann dømir (you/he judge(s))
- 2. pers.sg. -rt – tú rørt (you row). In certain surroundings, skerping occurs: eg rógvi [eː ɹɛɡvɪ], I row; vs. eg róði [eː ɹɔuwɪ], I rowed.
Weak Inflection
|
Infinitive
|
1. kalla
|
2. selja
|
3. døma
|
4. rógva
|
|
Singular
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
1st pers.
|
kalli
|
kallaði
|
selji
|
seldi
|
dømi
|
dømdi
|
rógvi
|
róði
|
2nd pers.
|
kallar
|
kallaði
|
selur
|
seldi
|
dømir
|
dømdi
|
rørt
|
róði
|
3rd pers.
|
kallar
|
kallaði
|
selur
|
seldi
|
dømir
|
dømdi
|
rør
|
róði
|
|
Plural
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
1st, 2nd, 3rd pers.
|
kalla
|
kallaðu
|
selja
|
seldu
|
døma
|
dømdu
|
rógva
|
róðu
|
|
Supine
|
kallað
|
selt
|
dømt
|
róð
|
Strong Inflection
These verbs are also referred to as regular. There are 7 classes (with underclasses), distinguished by the variations of the stem-vowel:
- í – í – ei – i- i; – at bíta – hann bítur – hann beit – teir bitu – teir hava bitið (bite)
- ó/ú – ý – ey – u- o; – at bróta – hann brýtur – hann breyt – teir brutu – teir hava brotið (break)
- e/i/ø – i – a – u- o/u; – at svimja – hann svimur – hann svam – teir svumu – teir hava svomið (swim)
- 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)
- e/i – e/i – a/á – ó – i; – at liggja – hann liggur – hann lá – teir lógu – teir hava ligið (lie)
- a – e – ó – ó – a; – at fara – hann fer – hann fór – teir fóru – teir hava farið (go)
- a/á – æ – e – i – i; – at fáa – hann fær – hann fekk – teir fingu – teir hava fingið (get)
Strong Inflection
|
Infinitive
|
1. bíta
|
2. bróta
|
3. svimja
|
4. koma
|
5. liggja
|
6. fara
|
7. fáa
|
|
Singular
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
1st pers.
|
bíti
|
beit
|
bróti
|
breyt
|
svimji
|
svam
|
komi
|
kom
|
liggi
|
lá
|
fari
|
fór
|
fái
|
fekk
|
2nd pers.
|
bítur
|
beitst
|
brýtur
|
breytst
|
svimur
|
svamst
|
kemur
|
komst
|
liggur
|
lást
|
fert
|
fórt
|
fært
|
fekst
|
3rd pers.
|
bítur
|
beit
|
brýtur
|
breyt
|
svimur
|
svam
|
kemur
|
kom
|
liggur
|
lá
|
fer
|
fór
|
fær
|
fekk
|
|
Plural
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
1st, 2nd, 3rd pers.
|
bíta
|
bitu
|
bróta
|
brutu
|
svimja
|
svumu
|
koma
|
komu
|
liggja
|
lógu
|
fara
|
fóru
|
fáa
|
fingu
|
|
Supine
|
bitið
|
brotið
|
svomið
|
komið
|
ligið
|
farið
|
fingið
|
Auxiliary verbs
The auxiliary verbs in Faroese are:
- at vera – to be
- at hava – to have
- at verða – to be, become
- at blíva – to be, become
Auxiliary verbs
|
Infinitive
|
1. vera
|
2. hava
|
3. verða
|
4. blíva
|
|
Singular
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
1st pers.
|
eri
|
var
|
havi
|
hevði
|
verði
|
varð
|
blívi
|
bleiv
|
2nd pers.
|
ert
|
vart
|
hevur
|
hevði
|
verður
|
varðst
|
blívur
|
bleivst
|
3rd pers.
|
er
|
var
|
hevur
|
hevði
|
verður
|
varð
|
blívur
|
bleiv
|
|
Plural
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
1st, 2nd, 3rd pers.
|
eru
|
vóru
|
hava
|
høvdu
|
verða
|
vórðu
|
blíva
|
blivu
|
|
Supine
|
verið
|
havt
|
verðið
|
blivið
|
Note, that vera and verða are homonyms.
Preterite-present verbs
The preterite-present verbs in Faroese are the following:
- at kunna – to be able to
- at munna – to want
- at mega – to be allowed to
- at skula – shall
- at vita – to know
- at vilja – to want
Preterite-present verbs
|
Infinitive
|
1. kunna
|
2. munna
|
3. mega
|
4. skula
|
5. vita
|
6. vilja
|
|
Singular
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
1st pers.
|
kann
|
kundi
|
man
|
mundi
|
má
|
mátti
|
skal
|
skuldi
|
veit
|
visti
|
vil
|
vildi
|
2nd pers.
|
kanst
|
kundi
|
manst
|
mundi
|
mást
|
mátti
|
skalt
|
skuldi
|
veitst
|
visti
|
vilt
|
vildi
|
3rd pers.
|
kann
|
kundi
|
man
|
mundi
|
má
|
mátti
|
skal
|
skuldi
|
veit
|
visti
|
vil
|
vildi
|
|
Plural
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
Present
|
Past
|
1st, 2nd, 3rd pers.
|
kunnu/ kunna
|
kundu
|
munnu/ munna
|
mundu
|
mugu/ mega
|
máttu
|
skulu/ skula
|
skuldu
|
vita
|
vistu
|
vilja
|
vildu
|
|
Supine
|
kunnað
|
munnað
|
megað
|
skulað
|
vitað
|
viljað
|
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.
External links