tveir
[ˈtʰveiːr]masculine
The English word "two" is tveir in Icelandic.
The word is used as the cardinal number 2.
Meaning: cardinal number 2 (num)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form tveir is used for masculine nouns or when referring to a group of males. However, the word changes depending on the gender of the noun it modifies: use tvær when modifying a feminine noun and tvö when modifying a neuter noun.
Did you know?
- While tveir is the cardinal number, Icelandic uses a separate set of ordinal numbers to say 'second', starting with the word annar.
- In Icelandic, numbers like tveir are treated as adjectives that must decline for case, meaning the word for 'two' changes form depending on whether it is the subject or the object of a sentence.
- The word tveir shares an ancient root with the English word 'twain', which is an archaic form of 'two' often found in poetry and the King James Bible.
Examples in context
- Hvar voruð þið tveir?Where have you two been?Tatoeba #11309209 by nipbud, translation #3573729 by CK
- Tveir plús tveir er fjórir.Two plus two makes four.Tatoeba #10613659 by nipbud, translation #394885 by Dorenda
- Tveir indíánar voru drepnir.Two Indians were killed.Tatoeba #10847232 by nipbud, translation #804372 by Source_VOA
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jón and Kristín are looking at some apples in a bowl.
- JónHvað fáum við?What do we get?
- KristínÞú mátt taka tveir eplum.You may take two apples.
- JónTakk, það er fullonugt!Thanks, that is plenty!
- KristínGjöðum, Jón.You're welcome, Jón.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “two” translations and entries tveir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tveir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
