Starting an Action (vera farinn að)
To express that a state or action has started and is now an ongoing process or habit, Icelandic uses a construction that translates literally to "be gone to":
vera (conjugated) + farinn (declined) + að + infinitive verb
In English, this is usually translated as "have started to" or "have begun to."
Agreement in the Singular
The word farinn acts like an adjective here. It must agree with the subject in gender and number.
For masculine singular subjects (like hann or maðurinn), use farinn:
| He has started to turn grey, but he is not old. | Hann er farinn að grána, en hann er ekki gamall. |
For feminine singular subjects (like hún or konan), use farin:
| The woman has started to groom herself better. | Konan er farin að snyrta sig betur. |
For neuter singular subjects (like það or hárið), use farið:
| His hair has started to thin a lot. | Hárið hans er farið að þynnast mikið. |
Hair Care and Styling
This structure is extremely common when discussing ongoing changes in appearance or new routines, such as adopting a new hair care habit.
| She has started to use the hair straightener and the hairspray. | Hún er farin að nota sléttujárnið og hárlakkið. |
| Mom has started to get herself light highlights. | Mamma er farin að fá sér ljósar strípur. |
| The scalp has started to dry, how do I fix it? | Hársvörðurinn er farinn að þorna, hvernig laga ég það? |
Questions and the Plural
To ask a question, simply invert the subject and the conjugated verb vera (er, ert, eru, etc.):
| Have you started to notice the dandruff? | Ertu farinn að taka eftir flösunni? |
When the subject is plural, farinn must also take a plural form. If you are addressing a group of males or a mixed-gender group, use the masculine plural form farnir:
| Why have you started to use all the hairspray? | Af hverju eruð þið farnir að nota allt hárlakkið? |