Language/Faroese/Grammar/Pronouns
Hi Faroese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about pronouns in Faroese grammar. Pronouns are essential in any language, as they are used to replace nouns, making sentences less repetitive and more concise. We will cover the different types of pronouns, their usage, and some helpful tips to help you master them. Don't forget to take notes, and let's get started!
Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Adjectives, Questions, Future Tense & How to Use Be.
Personal Pronouns[edit | edit source]
Personal pronouns are used to refer to people or objects. They are divided into three groups: Subjective, Objective, and Possessive Pronouns.
Subjective Pronouns[edit | edit source]
Subjective pronouns replace the subject of a sentence. They are as follows:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| eg | /jɛɛ/ | I |
| tú | /tʉ/ | You (singular) |
| hann | /han/ | He |
| hún | /huːn/ | She |
| tað | /tatʰ/ | It |
| vit | /vɪt/ | We |
| tit | /tɪt/ | You (plural) |
| teir | /tɛɪr/ | They (masculine) |
| tær | /tɛɪr/ | They (feminine) |
| tey | /tai/ | They (neuter or mixed group) |
An example conversation using subjective pronouns:
- Person 1: Hann ísultar. (He is hungry.)
- Person 2: Eg eisini. (I am too.)
Objective Pronouns[edit | edit source]
Objective pronouns replace the object of a sentence. They are as follows:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| meg | /mɛk/ | Me |
| teg | /tɛk/ | You (singular) |
| hann | /han/ | Him |
| hana | /hanɛ/ | Her |
| tað | /tatʰ/ | It |
| okkum | /ɔkʊm/ | Us |
| tykkum | /tɪkʊm/ | You (plural) |
| teimum | /təʊm/ | Them (masculine) |
| teimum | /təʊm/ | Them (feminine) |
| teimum | /təʊm/ | Them (neuter or mixed group) |
An example conversation using objective pronouns:
- Person 1: Eg sæi teg. (I see you.)
- Person 2: Hann elska meg. (He loves me.)
Possessive Pronouns[edit | edit source]
Possessive pronouns show possession or ownership. They are as follows:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| mín | /mɪn/ | Mine |
| tín | /tɪn/ | Yours (singular) |
| hansara/hans/hansari/hansar/hansareiði | /hansara/hans/hansari/hansar/hansareɪðɪ/ | His |
| hennara/henni/hennari/hennar/hennareiði | /hɛnnara/hɛnni/hɛnnari/hɛnnar/hɛnnareɪðɪ/ | Hers |
| tað sum eitt/tað/tá/títt/tínar/tín/tær/teir/teimum/eitt teimum/teimum sum eitt | /tatʰ sʊm æt:/tatʰ/tɔ:t/tit/tɪnar/tɪn/tɛɪr/tɛɪr/təʊm/eit:/təʊm/təʊm sʊm æt:/ | Its |
| okkara/okkara tveir/tað okkara/okkum/týðari/týður/týð teir/týð teir sum eitt/týð teimum sum eitt | /ɔkara/ɔkara tveɪr/tatʰ ɔkara/ɔkʊm/tʉjari/tʉjʊr/tʉj teɪr/tʉj teɪr sʊm æt:/tʉjɔm sʊm æt:/ | Ours |
| tykkara/tykkara tveir/tað tykkara/tykkum/tínari/tínur/tín teir/tín teir sum eitt/tín teimum sum eitt | /tɪkara/tɪkara tveɪr/tatʰ tɪkara/tɪkʊm/ti:nari/ti:nʊr/ti:n teɪr/ti:n teɪr sʊm æt:/ti:nʊm sʊm æt:/ | Yours (plural) |
| teirra/tá/títt sum teirra/títt sum eini/títt sum eitt/títt sum ein/tað sum teirra/teirra/tár/tár sum eitt/teira/teira sum eitt/teirum/teir sum eitt | /tɛɪra/tɔ:t/tit sʊm tɛɪra/tit sʊm ai:nɪ/tit sʊm æt:/tit sʊm ai/n/tɔt sʊm tɛɪra/tɛɪra/tɔ:t/tɔ:t sʊm æt:/tɛɪra/tɛɪra sʊm æt:/tɛɪrʊm/tɛɪr sʊm æt:/ | Theirs |
An example conversation using possessive pronouns:
- Person 1: Tín hús er stórt. (Your house is big.)
- Person 2: Tað sum eitt er mitt. (That (thing) is mine.)
Reflexive Pronouns[edit | edit source]
Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the sentence. They are formed by adding '-st' at the end of the objective pronouns, except for the third person singular (hann, hún, tað), where '-sær' is added instead.
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| meg sjálvan/sjálv | /mɛk sjɔlvant/ | Myself |
| teg sjálvan/sjálv | /tɛk sjaɔlvant/ | Yourself (singular) |
| hann sjálvan/sjálvnan | /han sjaɔlvant/sjaɔlvnan/ | Himself |
| hún sjálvan/sjálvan | /huːn sjaɔlvant/sjaɔlvnan/ | Herself |
| tað sjálvt/sjálv | /tatʰ sjɔlvit/sjaɔlv/ | Itself |
| okkum sjálvum/sjálvum | /ɔkʊm sjɔlvum/ | Ourselves |
| tykkum sjálvum/sjálvum | /tɪkʊm sjɔlvum/ | Yourselves (plural) |
| teimum sjálvum/sjálvum | /təʊm sjɔlvum/ | Themselves (masculine) |
| teimum sjálvum/sjálvum | /təʊm sjɔlvum/ | Themselves (feminine) |
| teimum sjálvum/sjálvum | /təʊm sjɔlvum/ | Themselves (neuter or mixed group) |
An example conversation using reflexive pronouns:
- Person 1: Eg tvátta meg sjálvan. (I wash myself.)
- Person 2: Tú klæddir teg sjálvan. (You dress yourself.)
Demonstrative Pronouns[edit | edit source]
Demonstrative pronouns are used to indicate proximity or distance. They are as follows:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| hetta | /hɛta/ | This (singular) |
| hesi | /hɛsi/ | These |
| hann/hin | /han/hin/ | That (masculine/feminine) |
| hetta/hitt | /hɛta/hɪt/ | That (neuter) |
| teir/tær/tey | /tɛɪr/tɛɪr/tai/ | Those (masculine/feminine/neuter) |
An example conversation using demonstrative pronouns:
- Person 1: Hetta er bókin mín. (This is my book.)
- Person 2: Hin bókin er tín. (That (feminine) book is yours.)
Interrogative Pronouns[edit | edit source]
Interrogative pronouns are used in question sentences. They are as follows:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| hvat | /kvɛt/ | What |
| hvør | /kvœr/ | Who |
| hvar | /kvar/ | Where |
| hvenær | /kvɛnɛ:ar/ | When |
| hvar/hvat fyri | /kvɛr/kvɛt fɪ:rɪ/ | Which |
An example conversation using interrogative pronouns:
- Person 1: Hvat hevur tú í taskuni? (What do you have in your pocket?)
- Person 2: Eg havi eitt epli. (I have an apple.)
Indefinite Pronouns[edit | edit source]
Indefinite pronouns are used to refer to non-specific people or things. They are as follows:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| einhver/ein/eitt/eið | /aɪnhvɛr/aɪn/aɪt/aɪð/ | Someone/Something |
| hvørki ein/ingin/tað | /kvœrçɪ aɪn/ɪnɡɪn/tatʰ/ | Nobody/Nothing |
| hvørki annar/øðrum/øðrvísi/ørvari/øllum | /kvœrçɪ antar/œðrʊm/œðrvist/œrvare/œlʊm/ | Any other/Else/Other way/Anything/Everyone |
An example conversation using indefinite pronouns:
- Person 1: Ert tú einsamallur? (Are you lonely?)
- Person 2: Nei, eg hevði eitt gott selskap. (No, I had good company.)
Summary[edit | edit source]
Pronouns are essential in any language, and Faroese is no exception. Personal pronouns replace people or objects, while reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject. Demonstrative, interrogative, and indefinite pronouns serve different functions, such as indicating proximity or questioning. See how many you can use in a single conversation!
To improve your Faroese Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
Sources[edit | edit source]
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