……
Breakdown of Það er búið að endurstilla lykilorðið.
vera
to be
það
it
lykilorðið
the password
endurstilla
to reset
búinn
done
Questions & Answers about Það er búið að endurstilla lykilorðið.
What does the construction Það er búið að + infinitive mean?
It’s an impersonal, resultative construction meaning that something has already been done. Here, Það er búið að endurstilla lykilorðið corresponds to English like The password has been reset or They’ve reset the password (agent not specified).
Why is it er and not hefur?
Because búið here is the neuter form of the adjective búinn (done/finished) used with vera (er), not a perfect tense with hafa (hefur). If you want a standard passive perfect, you’d use: Lykilorðið hefur verið endurstillt.
Who is the subject here? What does Það do?
Það is a dummy/expletive subject (like English “it/there” in certain sentences). The construction is impersonal: it doesn’t name who did the action, just states that it’s been done.
Can I mention who did the resetting?
Generally not with the er búið að construction. If you need an agent, switch to the passive or active:
- Passive with agent: Lykilorðið hefur verið endurstillt af tölvudeildinni (by the IT department).
- Active: Tölvudeildin endurstillti lykilorðið.
What exactly is búið and why that form?
Búið is the neuter singular form of the adjective búinn “done/finished,” agreeing with það (neuter). With a personal subject, it agrees with the subject:
- Masculine: Ég er búinn að…
- Feminine: Ég er búin að…
- Neuter: Barnið er búið að…
- Plurals: búnir/búnar/búin depending on gender.
What is the role of að here?
It’s the infinitive marker “to.” Að endurstilla = “to reset.” (This að is not the complementizer “that.”)
What case is lykilorðið, and what does the ending -ið mean?
Lykilorðið is neuter singular definite (“the password”). The ending -ið is the definite article. In this sentence it’s the object of endurstilla, so accusative; for neuter nouns, nominative and accusative look the same.
Could I instead say Lykilorðið hefur verið endurstillt?
Yes. That’s the regular passive perfect and is fine, often more formal or useful if you want to add an agent. Það er búið að… is very common in everyday speech and highlights the result “it’s already done.”
How do I make a yes/no question or a negative?
- Yes/no: Er búið að endurstilla lykilorðið?
- Negative: Það er ekki búið að endurstilla lykilorðið. (In questions: Er ekki búið að…?) Place ekki after the finite verb er.
How do I say “had already been reset” or “will have been reset”?
- Past (had already): Það var búið að endurstilla lykilorðið.
- Future perfect-like: Það verður búið að endurstilla lykilorðið (á morgun/kl. 5).
Is endurstilla separable? How is it conjugated?
It isn’t separable; endur- is a fixed prefix meaning “re-/again.” Basic forms:
- Infinitive: að endurstilla
- 3sg present: endurstillir
- Past (pret.): endurstillti
- Past participle/supine: endurstillt
What’s the difference between búinn að and búinn með?
- búinn að + INF = have done/finished doing something: Ég er búinn/búin að endurstilla lykilorðið (I’ve reset the password).
- búinn með + NOUN = be done with something (noun): Ég er búinn/búin með verkefnið (I’m done with the assignment).
Can I drop Það?
In casual speech, especially in questions, yes: Er búið að endurstilla lykilorðið? In a plain statement, Það er búið að… is the most natural; bare Búið að… can appear informally but is less standard.
Any quick pronunciation tips?
- ð (as in Það, búið, lykilorðið) is like the th in English this.
- Stress is on the first syllable of content words: ÞAÐ er BÚ-ið að EN-dur-stilla LY-ki-lor-ðið.
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