Fyrir aftan húsið eru tvær stórar sorptunnur.

Behind the building there are two big garbage bins.

Breakdown of Fyrir aftan húsið eru tvær stórar sorptunnur.

• vera: to be
• stór: big
• tveir: two
• húsið: the building

Questions & Answers about Fyrir aftan húsið eru tvær stórar sorptunnur.

Why is eru placed before tvær stórar sorptunnur?

Because Icelandic normally follows a verb-second pattern in main clauses.

Here, the sentence begins with the location phrase Fyrir aftan húsið (behind the house). Once that phrase is put first, the finite verb eru (are) must come next:

• Fyrir aftan húsið = first element
• eru = second element
• tvær stórar sorptunnur = subject

So the structure is very natural in Icelandic, even though it may feel a bit unusual from an English perspective.

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Is this basically the same as English There are two big trash bins behind the house?

Yes, functionally it is. But Icelandic does not need a dummy subject like English there.

English says:

• There are two big trash bins behind the house.

Icelandic simply says:

• Behind the house are two big trash bins.

So eru is just the normal verb to be, and tvær stórar sorptunnur is the real subject.

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What exactly does fyrir aftan mean?