Hjartað slær hratt þegar hamingjan er mikil.

to be

Breakdown of Hjartað slær hratt þegar hamingjan er mikil.

• hratt: fast
• þegar: when
• hjartað: the heart
• slá: to beat
• hamingjan: the happiness
• mikill: great

Questions & Answers about Hjartað slær hratt þegar hamingjan er mikil.

What is the definite article in Icelandic, and how do we see it in hjartað and hamingjan?

Icelandic does not use a separate word for “the.” Instead, definiteness is marked by suffixes on the noun.

• hjarta (heart) is a neuter noun, so its singular definite form takes -ð: hjartað = “the heart.”
• hamingja (happiness) is feminine, so its singular definite form takes -n: hamingjan = “the happiness” (i.e. happiness in general).

What does the verb slær mean, and how is it formed?

slær is the 3rd person singular present tense of the strong verb slá (“to beat/strike”). Thus hjartað slær literally means “the heart beats.”

Why is hratt used here, and what part of speech is it?

hratt is an adverb meaning “fast/quickly.” In Icelandic, many adverbs look like the neuter singular form of adjectives. Here hratt modifies slær, telling us how the heart beats.

What role does þegar play in this sentence?

þegar is a subordinating conjunction meaning “when.” It introduces the time-clause: þegar hamingjan er mikil = “when happiness is great.”

Why is the verb er placed before mikil, and what word-order rule does this illustrate?

Icelandic follows the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in the second position in most clauses (even in subordinate clauses introduced by þegar). In þegar hamingjan er mikil, þegar is the conjunction (not counted as a “positionable” element), hamingjan is first, and er is the finite verb in second position, followed by mikil.

Why is the adjective mikil not in a definite or attributive form like mikla?

Because mikil is used predicatively after the copula er (“is”). Predicative adjectives take the strong declension and agree in gender/number/case with the subject. Here hamingjan is feminine singular nominative, so the strong nominative feminine form of mikill (“big/great”) is mikil. If you wanted an attributive form (“great happiness”), you’d say mikla hamingju (weak form before the noun in accusative, for example).

What case is hamingjan in, and why?

hamingjan is in the nominative singular because it functions as the subject of the verb er in the subordinate clause.

How is the letter combination hj pronounced in hjartað?

Word-initial hj is pronounced as a voiceless palatal fricative [ç], sometimes with a slight [j] off-glide. So hjartað sounds approximately like [ˈçaːr̥tað], roughly “hyart-ath.”

How is the diphthong æ in slær pronounced?

The letter æ represents the diphthong [ai], similar to the English word “eye.” Therefore slær is pronounced roughly [slair], ending with a rolled or tapped r.

Can you place the verb at the end of the þegar-clause, as you would in German subordinate clauses?

No. Unlike German (where subordinate clauses often send the verb to the end), Icelandic subordinate clauses introduced by þegar still follow the V2 rule. You must say þegar hamingjan er mikil, not þegar hamingjan mikil er.