Language/Faroese/Grammar/Prepositional-Phrases
Prepositions are an essential part of any language, and Faroese is no exception. In this lesson, you'll learn about the basics of Faroese prepositions, including common prepositional phrases and idiomatic expressions used in everyday conversation.
What are Prepositional Phrases?
Simply put, a prepositional phrase is a group of words that includes a preposition and a noun or pronoun. The preposition shows the relationship between the noun or pronoun and the rest of the sentence. For example, in the sentence "I am going to the store," "to the store" is a prepositional phrase, with "to" being the preposition and "store" being the object of the preposition.
In Faroese, prepositions work similarly, and are used to show location, time, and direction, among other things. Let's take a look at some common Faroese prepositions, and how they are used in prepositional phrases.
Common Prepositions
Here are some of the most common prepositions in Faroese:
- á (on, onto)
- av (from, of, out of)
- fyri (for, in front of)
- hjá (at, by, near)
- í (in, into)
- um (about, around)
- undir (under)
- uppá (on top of)
- við (with)
Prepositional Phrases
Now that you know some common Faroese prepositions, let's take a look at some prepositional phrases, and how they are used.
"Á" Prepositional Phrases
"Á" is often used to show location or position, and can be translated to "on" or "onto" in English. Here are some examples:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| á húsinum | ow hoo-sin-oom | on the house |
| á borðinum | ow bore-din-oom | on the table |
| á bókini | ow bo-kin-ee | on the book |
Additionally, "á" is used in Faroese to show time, and can be translated to "at" or "on" in English. For example:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| á mánadegnum | ow mon-a-deg-num | on Monday |
| á klukkan 10 | ow kloo-kan tin | at 10 o'clock |
"Av" Prepositional Phrases
"Av" is used in Faroese to show possession, origin, and departure. It can be translated to "from," "of," or "out of" in English. For example:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| bókurnar av skrábókum | bo-koor-nar ahv skraa-bo-koom | the books from the diary |
| frukturin av ávum | frook-toor-in ahv ow-vum | the fruit from the trees |
| reyðarísin av Føroyum | rye-dar-ees-in ahv For-oy-um | the red rice from Faroe Islands |
"Fyri" Prepositional Phrases
"Fyri" is used in Faroese to show position or location, often used to indicate something is in front of something. It can be translated to "for" or "in front of" in English. Here are some examples:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| fyri dyruni | fee-ri dew-ru-nee | in front of the door |
| fyri skúlanum | fee-ri skoo-lan-um | in front of the school |
| fyri náttúruni | fee-ri naa-tuu-ru-nee | in front of nature |
"Hjá" Prepositional Phrases
"Hjá" is an interesting preposition in Faroese, as it can be used to indicate multiple meanings. It can be translated to "at," "by," "near," or "with" in English. Here are some examples:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| hjá mær | hyaa maa-ir | with me |
| hjá tínum feðgum | hyaa tee-num fed-djum | at your parents' |
| hjá tíni bestu vinum | hyaa tee-ni bes-tuu vi-num | with your best friends |
"Í" Prepositional Phrases
"Í" is used to show location or position, often used to indicate something is inside something. It can be translated to "in" or "into" in English. Here are some examples:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| í skúlanum | ee skoo-lan-um | in the school |
| í bókini | ee bo-kin-ee | in the book |
| í torfinum | ee tor-fi-num | in the bag |
"Um" Prepositional Phrases
"Um" is a versatile preposition in Faroese, used to indicate a variety of meanings such as time, location, or subject. It can be translated to "about" or "around" in English. Here are some examples:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| um morgunin | oom mor-gun-in | about tomorrow |
| um páskirnar | oom pas-kir-nar | around Easter |
| um Føroyar | oom For-oy-ar | about the Faroe Islands |
"Undir" Prepositional Phrases
"Undir" is used in Faroese to show position, often used to indicate something is underneath something else. It can be translated to "under" in English. Here are some examples:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| undir borðinum | un-deer bore-din-um | under the table |
| undir stólunum | un-deer stoo-lun-um | under the chair |
| undir vatninum | un-deer vat-nee-num | under the water |
"Uppá" Prepositional Phrases
"Uppá" is used in Faroese to show position, and is often used to indicate something is on top of something else. It can be translated to "on top of" in English. Here are some examples:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| uppá kúluna | oo-paa koo-lu-na | on top of the ball |
| uppá skinið | oo-paa ski-nid | on top of the tablecloth |
| uppá klettinum | oo-paa klet-ti-num | on top of the rock |
"Við" Prepositional Phrases
"Við" is a preposition in Faroese used to show association or company. It can be translated to "with" or "by" in English. Here are some examples:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| við familjuni | veeth fa-mil-yoo-nee | with the family |
| við kollegunum | veeth kol-le-goo-num | with the colleagues |
| við ástinum | veeth aw-sti-num | with the love |
Idiomatic Expressions
In addition to prepositional phrases, there are also many idiomatic expressions in Faroese that use prepositions. These expressions often have a specific meaning that cannot be translated word for word into English. Here are some examples:
| Faroese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| at vera á hyggjutóni | at ve-ra ow hugg-yu-toh-nee | to be on the same wavelength |
| at hava eitt gott á bløðunum | at ha-va ayt got ow bluu-doo-num | to have a good reputation |
| at hava nakað á hjarta | at ha-va nak-ath ow hyar-ta | to have something on one's mind |
Practice
Now that you know some common Faroese prepositional phrases and idiomatic expressions, it's time to practice using them in context. Here are some exercises to help you get more comfortable with using prepositions in Faroese:
- Translate the following English sentences into Faroese