Fortíðin er liðin, en framtíðin byrjar í nútíðinni.

The past is gone, but the future begins in the present.

Breakdown of Fortíðin er liðin, en framtíðin byrjar í nútíðinni.

• vera: to be
• í: in
• en: but
• byrja: to begin
• fortíðin: the past
• liðinn: gone
• framtíðin: the future
• nútíðin: the present

Questions & Answers about Fortíðin er liðin, en framtíðin byrjar í nútíðinni.

Why do fortíðin, framtíðin and nútíðinni have endings like -in and -inni? Are those like the English “the”?

Yes. Icelandic usually attaches the definite article (“the”) to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.

• fortíð = past
  fortíðin = the past
• framtíð = future
  framtíðin = the future
• nútíð = present (time/tense)
  nútíðinni = in the present

The form -in is the usual feminine singular nominative definite ending, and all three nouns here are feminine: fortíðin, framtíðin.

In nútíðinni, you see -inni, which marks feminine dative singular definite. That’s because the preposition í (in) takes the dative case when it expresses location/time (in the present), so:

• basic noun: nútíð
• dative definite: nútíðinni → in the present

What does er liðin literally mean, and how is liðin formed?

Literally, Fortíðin er liðin means something like “The past is passed” (i.e. has passed / is over).

• The verb is að líða = to pass (about time).
• Its past participle/adjectival form is liðinn = passed, elapsed, over.

As an adjective, liðinn has to agree with the noun in gender, number and case. fortíðin is feminine singular nominative, so the matching form is:

• masculine: liðinn
• feminine: liðin
• neuter: liðið

So we get Fortíðin er liðin: The past is over / has passed.

Why is it liðin and not liðið or liðinn?

Because liðinn behaves like an adjective and must agree with fortíðin in gender:

• fortíðin is feminine.
• Therefore the adjective must also be feminine nominative singular: liðin.

If the subject were neuter, you’d use liðið:

• Tímabilið er liðið. – The period is over. (neuter noun tímabilið)

If the subject were masculine, you’d use liðinn:

• Dagurinn er liðinn. – The day is over. (masculine noun dagurinn)

What exactly does en mean here? Could I also use og?

In this sentence, en means “but”, introducing a contrast:

• Fortíðin er liðin, en framtíðin byrjar í nútíðinni.
  The past is over, but the future begins in the present.

og means “and” and usually just adds information without contrast. You could say:

• Fortíðin er liðin, og framtíðin byrjar í nútíðinni.

That would be grammatically correct, but it sounds more like two neutral statements placed side by side. Using en highlights the opposition between the past being over and the future beginning.

Why is the form byrjar used for byrja here?

byrja is the infinitive “to start / begin”. Icelandic present tense of byrja (regular verb) is:

• ég byrja – I begin
• þú byrjar – you (sg.) begin
• hann/hún/það byrjar – he/she/it begins
• við byrjum – we begin
• þið byrjið – you (pl.) begin
• þeir/þær/þau byrja – they begin

The subject here is framtíðin (the future), which is third person singular, so we use byrjar:

• framtíðin byrjar = the future begins

Why does nútíðinni end with -inni? Which case is that, and why is it used after í?

nútíðinni is dative singular definite of nútíð.

The preposition í (in, into) can govern either the dative or the accusative:

• dative: when something is in a place or time (location/state)
• accusative: when something moves into a place (direction/motion)

In this sentence, we are talking about an abstract location in time (in the present), not moving into it, so í takes the dative:

• nominative: nútíð – present
• dative definite: í nútíðinni – in the present

What is the difference between nú, núna, and nútíð(in)?

They are related but not interchangeable:

• nú

  • means now, but often used more as a discourse word or to mark a change, like “now” / “well now”.
  • Example: Nú ferðu að hlusta. – Now you’re going to listen.

• núna

  • means right now / at this moment (more concrete, everyday “now”).
  • Example: Ég er að læra núna. – I’m studying now.

• nútíð

  • literally “now-time”, a noun meaning the present (time) or present tense.
  • nútíðin = the present (definite form)
  • Example: Við tölum í nútíð. – We speak in the present tense.

In the sentence í nútíðinni, we are using the noun (the present time), not the adverbs nú or núna.

Could you say Fortíðin er búin instead of Fortíðin er liðin?

It would be understood, but Fortíðin er liðin is much more natural and idiomatic.

• búinn (fem: búin, neut: búið) comes from að búa and often means finished, done in the sense that someone has finished doing something:

  • Ég er búinn með verkefnið. – I have finished the assignment.

• liðinn (fem: liðin) from að líða focuses on time having passed / being over:

  • Helgin er liðin. – The weekend is over.

Since fortíð is an abstract stretch of time, Fortíðin er liðin (the past is over / has passed) is the idiomatic choice. Fortíðin er búin sounds unusual and is not the standard way to express this idea.

Can the word order be changed, for example to Í nútíðinni byrjar framtíðin? Is that still correct?

Yes, that is grammatically correct and quite natural.

Icelandic is a verb-second (V2) language in main clauses: the finite verb usually comes in second position, but many different elements can come first. So you can have:

1. Fortíðin er liðin, en framtíðin byrjar í nútíðinni.
   – Subject first (framtíðin), then verb (byrjar).

2. Fortíðin er liðin, en í nútíðinni byrjar framtíðin.
   – Adverbial phrase first (í nútíðinni), then verb (byrjar), then subject (framtíðin).

The second version puts extra emphasis on “in the present” as the starting point of the future, but both are correct.

How do you pronounce the ð in words like fortíðin, liðin and nútíðinni?

In these words, ð is pronounced like the voiced “th” in English “this, that, then”.

Approximate pronunciations (using English-like hints):

• fortíðin ≈ FOR-tee-thin
  (stress on FOR, long í like “ee”, ð like “th” in this)

• liðin ≈ LEE-thin
  (long í, ð like “th” in this)

• nútíðinni ≈ NOO-tee-thin-nih
  (long ú like “oo” in food, long í, ð like “th” in this)

Also, Icelandic almost always puts stress on the first syllable of a word: FÓR-tíð-in, LÍÐ-in, NÚ-tíð-in-ni.

Are fortíð, nútíð and framtíð related words? What do their parts mean?

Yes, they are built from the same element -tíð, which historically means “time, period, tide” (compare English Yuletide).

• for- + tíð → fortíð

  • literally “before-time” → the past

• nú + tíð → nútíð

  • literally “now-time” → the present

• fram + tíð → framtíð

  • literally “forward-time” → the future

So you can think of them very literally as “beforetime, nowtime, forward-time”.

What are the dictionary forms and genders of fortíð, framtíð and nútíð? Could you ever use them without the article?

The basic dictionary (nominative singular indefinite) forms and genders are:

• fortíð – past, feminine
• framtíð – future, feminine
• nútíð – present (time/tense), feminine

With the definite article:

• fortíðin – the past
• framtíðin – the future
• nútíðin / í nútíðinni – the present / in the present

You can use them without the article in some contexts, especially when talking more generally, but for “the past / the future / the present” as big, specific concepts, Icelandic strongly prefers the definite form, just like English uses “the” in this philosophical-style sentence.