Breakdown of Næsta kennslustund verður styttri af því að kennarinn er upptekinn.
vera
to be
af því að
because
kennslustundin
the lesson
næstur
next
verða
to become
stuttur
short
kennarinn
the teacher
upptekinn
busy
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Questions & Answers about Næsta kennslustund verður styttri af því að kennarinn er upptekinn.
Why is næsta kennslustund in the nominative case, and what is its function in the sentence?
It’s the subject of the main clause. In Icelandic, subjects take the nominative case. Kennslustund is a feminine noun, so the adjective næsta is also in the feminine nominative singular form to agree with it.
What does styttri mean, and how is it formed?
Styttri is the comparative form of stuttur (“short”). Many Icelandic comparatives end in -ri. So styttri literally means “shorter.”
Why is verður used instead of er?
Verður is the present‐future form of vera (“to be/become”), so verður styttri means “will be shorter.” Using er would mean “is shorter” (present tense), but here the speaker is talking about the next lesson in the future.
What role does the phrase af því að play, and how is word order affected?
Af því að means “because” and introduces a subordinate clause explaining the reason. In Icelandic subordinate clauses, the finite verb (here er) comes after the subject (kennarinn), unlike in main clauses where it follows the first constituent.
Why is kennari in the definite form kennarinn?
Because it refers to a specific teacher already known to both speaker and listener. In Icelandic you attach -inn (masculine singular) to make kennari definite: kennarinn (“the teacher”).
Why is upptekinn in the masculine singular, and why is it placed after er?
Upptekinn is an adjective (or participle) agreeing with kennarinn, which is masculine singular nominative. As a predicate adjective it follows the linking verb er (“is”) in the subordinate clause.
Can I replace af því að with vegna þess að, and would the meaning change?
Yes. Vegna þess að kennarinn er upptekinn also means “because the teacher is busy.” Both conjunctions introduce a reason clause; the choice is mostly stylistic.