Questions & Answers about Það er andstæðingurinn sem kastar teningnum.
Why does the sentence use Það er ... sem ... instead of simply Andstæðingurinn kastar teningnum?
This pattern is called a cleft sentence. It is used to put special emphasis on one part of the sentence.
- Andstæðingurinn kastar teningnum = a neutral statement
- Það er andstæðingurinn sem kastar teningnum = It is the opponent who throws the die
So the point is not a different basic meaning, but a different focus. The speaker is highlighting andstæðingurinn.
This is very common in Icelandic, just as English uses It is X who/that ....
Does það actually mean it here?
Not really in the normal referential sense.
In this sentence, það is a dummy subject or expletive. It does not refer to a thing. It is just part of the fixed cleft structure:
- Það er X sem ...
So here það is more structural than meaningful. English works the same way in It is the opponent who throws the die.
Why is it andstæðingurinn and not just andstæðingur?