faðir / móðir / bróðir / systir / dóttir

Family Words (Faðir, Móðir)

Level 3

Nominative -ir, every other singular case -ur: faðir → föður, móðir → móður, bróðir → bróður, systir → systur, dóttir → dóttur.

How It Works

Singular

  • Nominative: faðir · móðir · bróðir · systir · dóttir
  • Accusative, dative, genitive: föður · móður · bróður · systur · dóttur

Plural

  • Nominative and accusative: feður · mæður · bræður · systur · dætur
  • Dative: feðrum · mæðrum · bræðrum · systrum · dætrum
  • Genitive: feðra · mæðra · bræðra · systra · dætra

systir is the only one whose plural is the same as its singular -ur form: systur can mean sister (object) or sisters.

With a possessive
Like other family words, they usually take the possessive with no article: bróðir minn, móður minni (Family Words Without the Article, Possessives in All Cases).

In names
Patronymics use the genitive of the father's name plus son or dóttir: Jónsdóttir (Jón's daughter). See Names and Patronymics.

Everyday words
In speech people often say mamma and pabbi. faðir and móðir are common in writing and more formal settings.

Examples (6)

  1. Ég bý hjá móður minni.

    I live with my mother.

    Word by Word: I live at mother my.

    hjá takes the dative, so móðir becomes móður.

  2. Þetta er hús bróður míns.

    This is my brother's house.

    Word by Word: This is house brother's my.

  3. Ég talaði við föður hennar.

    I talked to her father.

    Word by Word: I talked with father her.

  4. Hún á tvær systur.

    She has two sisters.

    Word by Word: She owns two sisters.

  5. Bræður mínir búa í Noregi.

    My brothers live in Norway.

    Word by Word: Brothers my live in Norway.

  6. Þau eiga þrjár dætur.

    They have three daughters.

    Word by Word: They own three daughters.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the -ir form after a preposition.

    Ég fór í bíó með bróðir mínum.
    Ég fór í bíó með bróður mínum.

    Only the nominative ends in -ir. After með, use bróður.

  • Making the plural with -ir or without the vowel change.

    Ég á tvo bróðir.
    Ég á tvo bræður.

    The plural of bróðir is bræður, with æ.

  • Leaving out the vowel change in faðir.

    Ég hringdi í faður minn.
    Ég hringdi í föður minn.

    In the -ur forms, the a of faðir becomes ö: föður.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

faðir / móðir / bróðir / systir / dóttirLevel 3Family Words (Faðir, Móðir)

Learn This First

The family words build on family words with minn and the genitive.

Words in This Pattern

faðirmóðirbróðirföðurmóðurbróðursysturbræðurdóttur