Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Það er verið að laga tölvuna núna.

It’s a dummy subject (an expletive), not “it” referring to anything specific. Icelandic often needs a subject slot filled, and Það does that when there’s no real subject.

What does the structure er verið að + infinitive mean?

It’s the standard way to express an ongoing action without naming the doer—roughly like English “is being + verb.” So Það er verið að laga… ≈ “(Someone) is fixing…” / “It is being fixed.” This pattern is often called the “new passive” (Icelandic: nýja þolmyndin).

Why is tölvuna accusative and not nominative?

In this “new passive,” the object keeps its normal case. The object of laga is accusative, so you get tölvuna (accusative definite), not nominative tölvan. There is no promotion of the object to subject here.

Can I front other elements, like the time or the object?

Yes. Common alternatives:

Núna er verið að laga tölvuna.
Tölvuna er verið að laga (núna). Fronting is for emphasis or topic, but the case on tölvuna stays accusative.

Is Tölvan er verið að laga núna correct?