Plurals With a Vowel Change

Level 3

Some plurals change the vowel: maður → menn, fótur → fætur, bók → bækur, hönd → hendur, mús → mýs.

How It Works

Common pairs

  • a → e: maður → menn (man, person)
  • ó → æ: fótur → fætur (foot), bók → bækur (book), nótt → nætur (night), bóndi → bændur (farmer)
  • ö → e: hönd → hendur (hand), tönn → tennur (tooth)
  • ú → ý: mús → mýs (mouse)

The dative and genitive plural
Most of these nouns go back to the singular vowel:

  • bók: bækur, bækur, bókum, bóka
  • hönd: hendur, hendur, höndum, handa
  • fótur: fætur, fætur, fótum, fóta

maður uses its stem mann-: menn, menn, mönnum, manna (The Noun Maður). bóndi keeps æ: bændum, bænda.

The dative singular
A few also change in the dative singular: fæti (foot), hendi (hand).

With the article
The article goes on the changed form: hendurnar (the hands), tennurnar (the teeth), bækurnar (the books). See Plural Nouns for the regular endings.

Examples (6)

  1. Það eru tveir menn úti.

    There are two men outside.

    Word by Word: It are two men outside.

  2. Ég er með kalda fætur.

    I have cold feet.

    Word by Word: I am with cold feet.

  3. Hún á margar bækur.

    She has many books.

    Word by Word: She owns many books.

  4. Ég bursta tennurnar tvisvar á dag.

    I brush my teeth twice a day.

    Word by Word: I brush the-teeth twice on day.

  5. Þvoðu þér um hendurnar.

    Wash your hands.

    Word by Word: Wash yourself about the-hands.

  6. Kötturinn veiddi tvær mýs.

    The cat caught two mice.

    Word by Word: The-cat caught two mice.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a regular ending instead of changing the vowel.

    Ég keypti tvær bókar.
    Ég keypti tvær bækur.

    bók makes its plural with a vowel change and -ur: bækur.

  • Using a regular masculine plural for maður.

    Það eru tveir maðar úti.
    Það eru tveir menn úti.

    The plural of maður is menn.

  • Keeping the changed vowel in the dative plural.

    Hún á mikið af bækum.
    Hún á mikið af bókum.

    af takes the dative. The dative plural goes back to the singular vowel: bókum.

How It Connects

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

Plurals With a Vowel ChangeLevel 3

Learn This First

i-umlaut plurals build on maður.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

mennfæturbækurhendurtennurmýsbókum-ur