Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Það er myrkur úti, þrátt fyrir að klukkan sé sex. - It is dark outside, despite the fact that the time is six.

Because the clause is introduced by the concessive expression þrátt fyrir að (despite/even though), Icelandic normally uses the subjunctive mood in that clause. The present subjunctive of vera (to be) is sé (3rd singular). So: þrátt fyrir að klukkan sé sex. Using the indicative (er) is heard, but the subjunctive is the recommended standard here.

Could I replace þrátt fyrir að with þótt or þó að?

Yes. All are natural:

þótt klukkan sé sex
þó að klukkan sé sex
þrátt fyrir að klukkan sé sex Nuance: þrátt fyrir að is slightly more formal; þótt/þó að is very common in speech and writing. All take the subjunctive by default.

Can I use þrátt fyrir without að?

Yes, but then it must take a noun phrase (accusative), not a finite clause:

þrátt fyrir myrkrið = despite the darkness
þrátt fyrir rigninguna = despite the rain Use þrátt fyrir að when you want a full clause: þrátt fyrir að rigni (despite the fact that it’s raining).

Why is it Það er myrkur úti and not an adjective like English “It’s dark”?

Icelandic often uses the neuter mass noun myrkur (darkness) as a predicative: Það er myrkur úti. You can also use an adjective:

Það er dimmt úti (it’s dim/dark outside; slightly weaker than myrkur)
Það er svartamyrkur úti (pitch dark; very strong) Using myrkur here feels very idiomatic and natural.

Is myrkur indefinite on purpose? Why not myrkrið?

Yes. In this impersonal pattern Það er + noun + staðarorð (place adverb), the noun is typically indefinite when describing a general state:

Það er myrkur úti (there is darkness outside / it’s dark out) If you say Myrkrið er úti, it means “the darkness is outside,” which sounds odd in this context.

What’s the difference between úti and út?

úti = location (outside, stative). Use this sentence: Það er myrkur úti.
út = motion (out, to the outside). Example: Hann fer út (He goes out). Here you want a location, so úti is correct.

Why is það needed? Could I start with Úti instead?

Það is an expletive subject commonly used to present weather and environmental states: Það er myrkur úti. You can front the location for emphasis:

Úti er myrkur, þrátt fyrir að klukkan sé sex. This is stylistically marked (more literary or contrastive). The neutral, most common version is with Það.

Why is it klukkan sé sex? Why not just Það sé sex?

When stating the time, Icelandic uses the idiom Klukkan er X (literally “the clock is X”), not Það er X. So you say:

Klukkan er sex (It’s six o’clock) Under þrátt fyrir að, that becomes þrátt fyrir að klukkan sé sex (subjunctive).

Why is klukkan definite?

In time-telling, klukkan is almost always definite: Klukkan er X. Think of it as “the time (by the clock) is X.” You would not normally say Klukka er sex in this meaning.

What is the word order inside the að-clause?

In subordinate clauses introduced by að, the finite verb does not take the V2 position. The typical order is Subject–Verb–(rest):

að klukkan sé sex (Subject = klukkan; Verb = sé) Putting the verb before the subject here (að sé klukkan sex) is ungrammatical.

Is the comma before þrátt fyrir að required?

It’s customary and recommended to set off a final concessive clause with a comma:

… myrkur úti, þrátt fyrir að … Icelandic uses commas a bit more freely than English, and this comma helps readability.

How do I pronounce the tricky sounds here?

Approximate guidance:

Það: initial þ like English unvoiced th in “thin”; ð like voiced th in “this”.
þrátt: á like “ow” in “cow”; tt is preaspirated, sounding a bit like “h-t” ([θrauht]).
klukkan: kk is preaspirated ([hk]): [klʏh-kan].
úti: ú is long
sé: [sjɛː] (the s+j sound).
sex: [sɛks]. Don’t worry about perfect preaspiration early on—clarity and stress matter more.

Could I say þó að klukkan er sex with the indicative?

You’ll hear it, but the standard (and safest) choice with þó að / þótt / þrátt fyrir að is the subjunctive: sé. Using er can sound nonstandard or more colloquial, and teachers/editors often prefer sé.

What are some natural alternatives to the main clause?

Það er dimmt úti, þrátt fyrir að klukkan sé sex. (It’s dim/dark outside…)
Það er orðið myrkur úti, … (It has become dark outside…)
Úti er myrkur, … (Fronting for emphasis/contrast)
Það er svartamyrkur úti, … (It’s pitch dark outside…)

How does myrkur decline, and why does that matter here?

As a neuter noun, singular:

Nom/Acc: myrkur
Dat: myrkri
Gen: myrkurs Definite: myrkrið In the sentence, myrkur is a predicate noun after er, so it’s nominative singular and indefinite: Það er myrkur úti.