Abstract Nouns (-skapur, -leiki, -dómur)
vinskapur (friendship) · sannleikur (truth) · sjúkdómur (disease)
How It Works
-skapur names a relationship or activity: vinur → vinskapur (friendship), félagi → félagsskapur (company), búa → búskapur (farming). Forms: vinskapur, vinskap, vinskap, vinskapar.
-leiki / -leikur names a quality: veikur → veikleiki (weakness), kær → kærleikur (love, kindness), sannur → sannleikur or sannleiki (truth), erfiður → erfiðleiki (difficulty, usually plural erfiðleikar). Also möguleiki (possibility; compare mögulegur) and hæfileiki (talent). Words in -leiki decline like tími: möguleiki, möguleika; plural möguleikar. Words in -leikur have their own forms: sannleikur, sannleik, sannleik, sannleiks.
-dómur names a state or condition: sjúkur → sjúkdómur (disease), vís → vísdómur (wisdom), barn → barndómur (childhood), leyndardómur (mystery). These decline like strong masculine nouns: sjúkdómur, sjúkdóm, sjúkdómi, sjúkdóms; plural sjúkdómar. On its own, dómur means judgment or verdict.
Other suffixes. Abstract nouns are also made with -semi (hjálpsemi, helpfulness) and -leysi (atvinnuleysi, unemployment). For suffixes that build adjectives, see adjective suffixes and -legur.
Examples (6)
- Það er mikill vinskapur á milli þeirra.
There is a strong friendship between them.
Word by Word: It is great friendship on between them.
vinskapur is masculine, so the adjective is mikill.
- Sannleikurinn kemur alltaf í ljós.
The truth always comes out.
Word by Word: The-truth comes always into light.
- Það eru margir möguleikar í stöðunni.
There are many possibilities in this situation.
Word by Word: It are many possibilities in the-position.
möguleiki is a weak masculine noun, so the plural is möguleikar.
- Sjúkdómurinn er sem betur fer ekki alvarlegur.
Fortunately, the illness is not serious.
Word by Word: The-disease is as better goes not serious.
- Hann hefur mikla hæfileika í tónlist.
He has great talent in music.
Word by Word: He has great talents in music.
hæfileika is accusative plural of hæfileiki.
- Fyrirtækið hefur átt í miklum erfiðleikum.
The company has been in great difficulty.
Word by Word: The-company has owned in great difficulties.
erfiðleikar is usually plural; here it is dative after eiga í.
Common Mistakes
Treating a -skapur noun as feminine.
Það er mikil vinskapur á milli þeirra.Það er mikill vinskapur á milli þeirra.Nouns in -skapur are masculine, so the adjective takes the masculine form mikill.
Giving a -leiki noun the wrong plural ending.
Það eru margir möguleikir í stöðunni.Það eru margir möguleikar í stöðunni.Weak masculine nouns in -i form the plural with -ar: möguleiki → möguleikar.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Abstract noun suffixes build on -legur and compounds.
Related Patterns
- Adjective Suffixes (-samur, -ugur, -rænn)
The matching suffixes that build adjectives: -samur, -ugur, -rænn, -skur.
Level 5 - Nouns for People in -ari
Another suffix that builds nouns, here for people who do something.
Level 4 - Masculine Nouns in -i
Nouns in -leiki decline like tími: möguleiki, möguleika.
Level 2 - Masculine Nouns Like hestur
Nouns in -dómur decline like strong masculine nouns: sjúkdóm, sjúkdómi, sjúkdóms.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Abstract Nouns (-skapur, -leiki, -dómur) in Bubblegum
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