Word
Þau fluttu inn eftir því hvort heimilið var tilbúið.
Meaning
They moved in depending on whether the home was ready.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Þau fluttu inn eftir því hvort heimilið var tilbúið.
vera
to be
tilbúinn
ready
heimilið
the home
þau
they
Questions & Answers about Þau fluttu inn eftir því hvort heimilið var tilbúið.
Why does the sentence start with Þau? Doesn’t that mean they in the neuter?
Yes. Þau is the nominative plural neuter form of they.
In Icelandic, þau is used:
- for a mixed-gender group
- for children
- for a group whose gender is unspecified or not important
So it does not necessarily mean that the people are literally neuter. It is often just the normal pronoun for a mixed group.
Compare:
- þeir = they (all male, or masculine default in some contexts)
- þær = they (all female)
- þau = they (mixed group / children / unspecified)
What form is fluttu?
Fluttu is the 3rd person plural past tense of flytja.
So:
- flytja = to move, transport
- flutti = moved (singular)
- fluttu = moved (plural)
Because the subject is þau = they, the verb has to be plural:
- Þau fluttu = They moved
Is fluttu inn basically one idea, like moved in?