Language/Faroese/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have

Faroese Grammar - How to Use "Have"

Hi Faroese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about how to use "have" in Faroese. "Have" is an important verb in any language, and understanding how to use it correctly will help you express yourself more clearly in conversations. Let's get started!

The Verb "Have"

In Faroese, the verb "have" is "hava". This verb is usually used to show possession or ownership, for example, "Eg havi bil" (I have a car) or "Tú havi bókina" (you have the book).

There are two different constructions of "have" in Faroese: present tense and past tense. The present tense is used for actions or events that are currently happening or ongoing. The past tense, on the other hand, is used for actions or events that happened in the past and are now finished.

Let's explore each of these constructions in more detail.

Present Tense

In order to use "have" in the present tense, we need to know the correct conjugation for each pronoun. Below, you can find a table with the conjugation of "hava" in the present tense:

Pronoun	Conjugation	Example
Eg	hevur	Eg hevur ein hund. (I have a dog.)
Tú	hevur	Tú hevur trý børn. (You have three children.)
Hann/hon/tað	hevur	Hann hevur nýggjan bíl. (He has a new car.) Hon hevur gamalt hus. (She has an old house.) Tað hevur stórt jørð. (It has a large yard.)
Vit	hava	Vit hava góðan dag. (We have a good day.)
Tit	hava	Tit hava stóra familjuna. (You all have a large family.)
Teir/tey/tær	hava	Teir hava nógvar uppgávur. (They have many tasks.) Tey hava gott samband. (They have a good relationship.) Tær hava mikið áhugahvølp. (They have a lot of hobbies.)

In Faroese, the construction "hava ein/eitt/ei" (have one) is used to express something singular, for example "Eg havi ein bil" (I have one car).

Let's see some examples in a dialogue:

• Person 1: Eg hevur ein hund. (I have a dog.)
• Person 2: Hvat hevur hundurin eitt navn? (What's the dog's name?)
• Person 1: Hundurin hevur navnið Charlie. (The dog's name is Charlie.)

Past Tense

In order to use "have" in the past tense, we also need to know the correct conjugation for each pronoun. Below, you can find a table with the conjugation of "hava" in the past tense:

Pronoun	Conjugation	Example
Eg	hevði	Eg hevði ein hund. (I had a dog.)
Tú	hevði	Tú hevði trý børn. (You had three children.)
Hann/hon/tað	hevði	Hann hevði nýggjan bíl. (He had a new car.) Hon hevði gamalt hus. (She had an old house.) Tað hevði stórt jørð. (It had a large yard.)
Vit	høvdu/høvdu ikki	Vit høvdu góðan dag. (We had a good day.) Vit høvdu ikki nóg til mat. (We didn't have enough food.)
Tit	høvdu	Tit høvdu stóra familjuna. (You all had a large family.)
Teir/tey/tær	høvdu	Teir høvdu nógvar uppgávur. (They had many tasks.) Tey høvdu gott samband. (They had a good relationship.) Tær høvdu mikið áhugahvølp. (They had a lot of hobbies.)

In Faroese, the construction "hava havt" (have had) can be used to refer to actions or events that have happened in the past and still have an effect in the present, for example "Eg havi havt eyguni uppi" (I have had my eyes open).

Let's see some examples in a dialogue:

• Person 1: Eg hevði ein bil, men núgvan er brúktan. (I had a car, but now it's used.)
• Person 2: Hvussu nógvar bilir hevði tú í lívinum? (How many cars have you had in your life?)
• Person 1: Eg havi havt tríggjar bilir. (I have had three cars.)

Using "Have" with Participles

In Faroese, the participle of "have" is "havin". This participle can be used in a few different constructions, for example, it can be combined with the verb "vera" (to be) to create the present perfect tense. The present perfect tense is used to describe actions or events that started in the past and continue into the present.

Here's an example of how to form the present perfect tense in Faroese:

• Eg havi havt rúm. (I have had a room.)
• Eg er havið rúm. (I have been having a room.)

In this example, we use the present tense of "vera" (er) and the participle of "have" (havin) to create the present perfect tense.

Let's see some more examples using the present perfect tense in a dialogue:

• Person 1: Hvar hevur tú verið seinni dagarnir? (Where have you been these past few days?)
• Person 2: Eg havi verið í Danmark. (I have been in Denmark.)
• Person 1: Hvussu lýkur tú arbeiðinum? (How is your work going?)
• Person 2: Eg havi havt nógv at gera. (I have had a lot to do.)

Using "Have" with Infinitive Verbs

In Faroese, "have" can also be used with an infinitive verb to express actions or events that will happen in the future, for example "Eg havi at fara" (I have to go) or "Tú havi at læra" (You have to learn).

Let's see some more examples using "have" with infinitive verbs in a dialogue:

• Person 1: Tú hevur eina stóra uppgávu. (You have a big task.)
• Person 2: Ja, eg havi at skriva ein stór frágreiðing. (Yes, I have to write a big report.)
• Person 1: Vil tú fara við mær aftur? (Do you want to come with me again?)
• Person 2: Nú er ikki tíðin, eg havi at lesa uppá tentuna. (It's not the time now, I have to study for the exam.)

Conclusion

Congratulations! Now you know how to use "have" in Faroese. Remember to practice using "have" in different constructions, and to find a language partner to practice with on Polyglot Club. Find native speakers and ask them any questions you might have about Faroese grammar!

If you want to learn more about Faroese grammar, check out the Grammar section of the Faroese language learning page. Good luck with your studies!

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