Ég held að íslenskan sé erfið, en það er gaman.

I think Icelandic is difficult, but it is fun.

Breakdown of Ég held að íslenskan sé erfið, en það er gaman.

• ég: I
• vera: to be
• það: it
• gaman: fun

Questions & Answers about Ég held að íslenskan sé erfið, en það er gaman.

Why is there an að in the middle of the sentence?

Að is the conjunction that, used to introduce a subordinate clause after verbs like halda (to think / believe), segja (to say), vita (to know), etc.
So the structure is basically: Ég held [að + clause].

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Why does the verb in the subordinate clause look different: sé instead of er?

Sé is the present subjunctive form of vera (to be). Icelandic often uses the subjunctive after að with verbs of opinion/reporting like Ég held..., especially when the statement is framed as a thought, claim, or subjective assessment rather than a plain fact.

You may also see Ég held að íslenskan er erfið, using the indicative er, which can sound more like you’re stating it as a straightforward fact. The subjunctive (sé) is very common and often feels more natural in careful standard Icelandic in this pattern.

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What is the base form of held?

Held is the 1st person singular present tense of halda (to hold, and also to think/believe in this construction).

• infinitive: að halda
• present (ég): ég held
  So ég held = I think / I believe (in this usage).

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