Car Rental & Driving

1. Háliidan láigohit biilla

   I'd like to rent a car

   Usage

   The basic sentence for starting a request at a car rental desk

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. Háliidit (to want) + infinitive. Biila "car" becomes biilla as an object. Láigohit can mean both "to rent out" and "to rent", the direction being clear from context

2. Gos sáhtán láigohit biilla?

   Where can I rent a car?

   Usage

   Used when looking for a car rental office at an airport or in town

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. The question word gos comes first. The pattern is sáhttit (can) + infinitive

3. Man ollu láigu lea?

   How much is the rent?

   Usage

   Asks the rental price. It does not ask what is included in the price

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. Láigu is the noun for the hire charge. The question words man ollu come first

4. Biiladáhkádus gokčá biilla vahágiid

   Car insurance covers damage to the car

   Usage

   A statement useful when discussing insurance and what it covers

   Grammar Note

   A compound of biila "car" + dáhkádus "insurance". Gokčat basically means "to cover" and is used here for insurance covering damage. The nouns appear in the genitive and accusative

5. Gos lea lagamus bensinstašuvdna?

   Where is the nearest petrol station?

   Usage

   Used when you need fuel. Towns in Sápmi are far apart, so it helps to check before setting off

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. The "where is the nearest …?" pattern Gos lea lagamus …?. Bensinstašuvdna is a compound of bensin "petrol" + stašuvdna "station"

6. Biila ii doaimma

   The car doesn't work

   Usage

   Tells someone the car is broken. It does not give the cause, only that the car does not work

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. Negation is the conjugated negative verb ii + the main verb in its connegative form (doaibmat → doaimma). No dedicated phrase for "won't start" could be confirmed

7. Mus lea vuodjinkoarta

   I have a driving licence

   Usage

   Tells the desk you hold a licence. Depending on the country an international permit may also be required

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. Possession uses Mus lea … ("at me is …") rather than a verb "to have". Vuodjinkoarta is a compound of vuodjit "to drive" + koarta "card"

8. Mun vuoján biilla

   I drive a car

   Usage

   Says that you drive. The pronoun mun may be dropped

   Grammar Note

   Vuodjit (to drive a vehicle) and vuodjat (to swim) are different verbs differing by one letter. The one used here is "to drive"

9. Dát biila lea badjelmeare divrras

   This car is too expensive

   Usage

   A way to say that a car, or its price, is too expensive

   Grammar Note

   Badjelmeare (also badjelmeari) is an adverb meaning "beyond measure", placed before the adjective divrras. Dát means "this"

10. biila

    Car

    Usage

    The basic word for a passenger car

    Grammar Note

    The nominative is biila; the accusative and genitive are biilla (lengthened l), an example of North Sami consonant gradation

11. biilačoavdda

    Car key

    Usage

    A word that comes up when picking up or returning a rental car

    Grammar Note

    A compound of biila "car" + čoavdda "key"

12. vuodjinkoarta

    Driving licence

    Usage

    The name of the document shown when renting a car

    Grammar Note

    A compound of vuodjit "to drive" + koarta "card". The spelling vuodjenkoarta also occurs

13. bensiidna

    Petrol

    Usage

    The word for petrol/gasoline, used at filling stations

    Grammar Note

    A loanword from Norwegian bensin, spelled to fit North Sami orthography

14. bensinstašuvdna

    Petrol station

    Usage

    The word for a filling station

    Grammar Note

    A compound of bensin "petrol" + stašuvdna "station"; the first part is bensin, not bensiidna

15. biiladáhkádus

    Car insurance

    Usage

    The word for the insurance explained in a rental contract

    Grammar Note

    A compound of biila "car" + dáhkádus "insurance, guarantee"

16. láigohit

    To rent

    Usage

    The infinitive (dictionary form). It serves both for renting and for renting out; context shows the direction

    Grammar Note

    The infinitive ends in -it. It shares its root with the noun láigu "rent, hire charge"

17. láigu

    Rent, hire charge

    Usage

    The noun for the charge paid for renting a car or a room

    Grammar Note

    The noun láigu is the charge paid, not the act of renting

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