Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Kennarinn segir að taflan sé gagnleg, en gamli hlekkurinn sé gagnslaus núna. - The teacher says that the table is useful, but the old link is useless now.

Kennarinn segir að taflan sé gagnleg, en gamli hlekkurinn sé gagnslaus núna.

The teacher says that the table is useful, but the old link is useless now.

Breakdown of Kennarinn segir að taflan sé gagnleg, en gamli hlekkurinn sé gagnslaus núna.

Questions & Answers about Kennarinn segir að taflan sé gagnleg, en gamli hlekkurinn sé gagnslaus núna.

Why is it sé and not er?

Sé is the present subjunctive form of vera (to be), while er is the ordinary present indicative.

In a sentence like this, Icelandic often uses the subjunctive in a subordinate clause after segir að (says that), especially in reported statements or more formal/written style:

Kennarinn segir að taflan sé gagnleg
= The teacher says that the board/chart is useful

So the sentence is presenting what the teacher says, not directly asserting it as the speaker’s own plain statement.

In everyday speech, you may also hear er in similar contexts, but sé is very common and important to recognize.

What exactly is sé?

Sé is a form of vera (to be).

More specifically, it is:

3rd person singular present subjunctive
used here with both:
- taflan (the board/chart)
- gamli hlekkurinn (the old link)

So:

taflan sé gagnleg
hlekkurinn sé gagnslaus

Both subjects are singular, so sé fits both of them.

Why is there only one að, even though there are two clauses after segir?