Questions & Answers about Hann er búinn núna.
What does the word in the middle, búinn, actually mean here?
It’s an adjective meaning finished/done. With no complement, Hann er búinn núna means “He is finished now.” When followed by að + infinitive (for example, búinn að borða), it means “has done/has finished doing” that action.
Why is it búinn and not búin or búið?
Because adjectives used as complements agree with the subject in gender and number. Here the subject is masculine singular (Hann), so you use masculine singular nominative búinn.
- Masculine singular: búinn (Hann er búinn)
- Feminine singular: búin (Hún er búin)
- Neuter singular: búið (Það er búið)
- Plural: masc búnir, fem búnar, neut búin
Could I say Hann er búið núna?
No. Búið is neuter and must agree with a neuter subject (often impersonal það). You can say:
- Það er búið = “It’s done.”
- Hann er búinn = “He is done.”
Does the sentence need to specify what he is finished with?