óákveðnar

Ákveðnar is an Icelandic word that functions as a feminine plural form of the adjective ákveðinn and of the past participle of the verb ákveða. In practice, ákveðnar can express two related ideas: definiteness or certainty (through the adjective sense) and being determined or decided (through the past participle sense). The exact meaning depends on context.

In grammar, ákveðnar is used with feminine plural nouns and can appear in predicative or attributive positions. As an attributive form, it would modify a feminine plural noun such as spurningar or konur. As a predicate, it can describe a feminine plural subject, for example: Konurnar eru ákveðnar, meaning “The women are determined” or “The women are definite/certain,” depending on the surrounding context. Another natural example is Þá eru ákveðnar spurningar, meaning “There are certain questions” or “There are definite questions.”

Etymologically, the form derives from the verb ákveða, meaning to determine or decide, and the adjective ákveðinn, meaning definite or determined. Icelandic adjectives and participles decline for gender, number, and definiteness, so feminine plural forms such as ákveðnar occur in appropriate grammatical environments.

Usage notes emphasize that the precise sense—definite/certain versus determined—rests on how the sentence is framed. While both meanings are correct, speakers distinguish them through context, related vocabulary, and the broader discourse.

See also: Icelandic grammar, adjectives, participles, definite and indefinite inflection.