Það snjóar, svo við förum ekki út.

It is snowing, so we don’t go out.

Breakdown of Það snjóar, svo við förum ekki út.

• það: it
• ekki: not
• við: we
• fara: to go
• svo: so
• út: out
• snjóa: to snow

Questions & Answers about Það snjóar, svo við förum ekki út.

Why does the sentence start with Það? Does it mean that?

In Það snjóar, það is a dummy/impersonal subject, like English it in It’s snowing. It doesn’t refer to a specific thing.
It is not the same as English that here (even though það can also mean that in other contexts).

What form is snjóar? Is it a noun or a verb?

Snjóar is the present tense verb form of að snjóa (to snow).
So Það snjóar literally corresponds to It snows / It’s snowing (context decides whether it’s habitual or happening now).

Does Það snjóar mean “it is snowing” or “it snows (in general)”?

It can mean either:

• It’s snowing (right now), very common in conversation.
• It snows (habitually), depending on context (e.g., climate statements).
  If you want to be extra explicit about “right now,” Icelandic often relies on context, but you can also add time words like núna (now).

What does svo mean here, and how is it different from svo meaning “so/very”?

Here svo is a connector meaning so / therefore / and so:
Það snjóar, svo við förum ekki út. = It’s snowing, so we’re not going out.

Svo can also be an intensifier meaning so/very (like so cold), but that use appears in different structures (e.g., Það er svo kalt = It’s so cold).

Is the comma before svo required?

It’s common and usually recommended when svo links two independent clauses (each with its own verb):

• Það snjóar, (clause 1)
• svo við förum ekki út (clause 2)

In casual writing you might see variation, but the comma is a safe choice here.

Why is it við förum and not við för?

Because Icelandic verbs agree with the subject in person and number:

• við = we (1st person plural)
• Present tense of að fara (to go) is förum for við.

So við förum = we go / we are going (depending on context).

Does við förum ekki út mean “we don’t go out” or “we’re not going out”?

It can mean either, depending on context:

• We don’t go out (habitual/typical)
• We’re not going out (a decision/plan right now)

If you want to emphasize a future plan more clearly, Icelandic often uses ætla (intend) or munu (will), e.g. við ætlum ekki út or við munum ekki fara út.

Why is ekki placed before út?

Ekki (not) generally comes after the finite verb and before many adverbs/objects it negates.
So the typical order is:

• verb: förum
• negation: ekki
• direction/adverb: út

Hence förum ekki út = don’t go out / aren’t going out.

What exactly is út here? Is it a preposition?

Út is an adverb of direction meaning out / outside.
In this sentence it works like English out in go out. It’s not a preposition here (no object follows it).

Could I replace svo with þess vegna? Would the sentence change?

Yes. Þess vegna also means therefore / that’s why and is often slightly more formal/explicit.
You might say:

• Það snjóar, þess vegna förum við ekki út.

Notice the word order often shifts: after a fronted adverb like þess vegna, Icelandic typically uses verb-second order, so förum comes before við.

Why does the word order change in Þess vegna förum við ekki út, but not in the original?

Icelandic is generally a V2 (verb-second) language in main clauses: if something other than the subject comes first, the finite verb usually comes next.

• Original with svo: the second part is often treated like a following clause where við can naturally appear right after svo: svo við förum...
• With þess vegna as a sentence adverb placed first in a main clause: Þess vegna
  • förum
    • við ...

So the verb jumps to second position in that structure.

How do you pronounce Það snjóar, svo við förum ekki út?

A learner-friendly approximation:

• Það: like th in this
  • ow (roughly “thowth,” but the final ð is often very soft)
• snjóar: roughly “snyoh-ar” (the jó is like “yo”)
• svo: like “svuh” (short o)
• við: “vith” (soft th at the end)
• förum: “fuh-rum” (ö is not “oh”; it’s more like a rounded “uh”)
• ekki: “EH-kee”
• út: like “oot” (long ú)