Það er hálka á gangstéttinni í morgun.

to be

Breakdown of Það er hálka á gangstéttinni í morgun.

• á: on
• í morgun: this morning
• það: there

Questions & Answers about Það er hálka á gangstéttinni í morgun.

Why does the sentence start with það er?

In this kind of sentence, það is a dummy subject. It does not really mean it in a concrete way.

So Það er hálka works a lot like English There is ice / It’s icy.

Icelandic often uses það er to introduce:

• existence
• general conditions
• weather-like statements

So here it is not talking about some specific it.

What exactly does hálka mean?

Hálka means icy slipperiness or slippery icy conditions.

It is not usually the same as just ice as a physical substance. If you say Það er hálka, you are talking about the ground being dangerously slippery because of ice.

A good natural English equivalent is:

• It’s icy
• There are icy conditions
• It’s slippery with ice

Why is it hálka, not hálkan?

Because this sentence is describing a general condition, not a specific previously mentioned thing.

• hálka = icy conditions / slipperiness
• hálkan = the icy patch / the slipperiness

After það er, Icelandic often uses an when introducing a situation or condition. So sounds natural, while would usually sound wrong or very unusual here.