Veröldin breytist hratt.

The world changes quickly.

Breakdown of Veröldin breytist hratt.

• hratt: quickly
• breytast: to change
• veröldin: the world

Questions & Answers about Veröldin breytist hratt.

What does veröldin mean, and why does it end with -in?

veröld means “world.” Icelandic marks definiteness by a suffix, so adding -in turns veröld into veröldin, i.e. the world.

Why is the verb breytist used here instead of breytir?

Icelandic has two related verbs:

• breyta (transitive) = “to change [something]”
• breytast (intransitive/passive) = “to change” or “to be changed.”
  In “Veröldin breytist hratt,” the world is changing on its own (intransitive), so we use the -st form, breytist, rather than the active breytir.

How is breytist conjugated, and what tense is it?

breytist is present tense, 3rd person singular of breytast. Conjugation in the present for a regular -ast verb looks like this:
• ég breytist (I change)
• þú breytist (you change)
• hann/hún breytist (he/she changes)
…
Here, veröldin = hann (it), so we get breytist.

Why is hratt at the end of the sentence, and what is its function?

hratt is an adverb meaning “quickly.” Icelandic follows the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite verb must be the second constituent. The basic order here is Subject – Verb – Adverb:
Veröldin (subject) | breytist (verb) | hratt (adverb).

Why doesn’t hratt get any case or gender endings?

Adverbs in Icelandic are indeclinable; they don’t agree in case, number, or gender. Only adjectives and nouns carry such endings.

Could I use skjótt instead of hratt to say “quickly”?

Yes. skjótt is another common adverb meaning “quickly.” You could say Veröldin breytist skjótt. Subtle nuance: skjótt often conveys speed (“speedily”), while hratt can also hint at suddenness or swiftness, but they’re largely interchangeable here.

Is Veröldin breytist hratt the only possible word order?

You could emphasize another element by fronting it, but you must keep the verb second. For example:
• Hratt breytist veröldin. (Emphasizes how fast – “Fast the world changes.”)
But the neutral, default way to state it is Veröldin breytist hratt.