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

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.”