When reporting what someone else says, claims, or denies having done, Icelandic often uses the subjunctive mood. Using the subjunctive in indirect speech creates a layer of distance, signaling that you are relaying an assertion rather than stating an absolute fact yourself.
The Present Perfect Subjunctive
When the reporting verb is in the present tense but the reported action happened in the past, use the present perfect subjunctive in the að (that) clause.
Form this with the auxiliary verb hafa in the present subjunctive, followed by the main verb in the supine (the neuter singular past participle).
| Pronoun | Present Subjunctive of hafa |
|---|---|
| ég / hann / hún / það | hafi |
| þú | hafir |
| við | höfum |
| þið | hafið |
| þeir / þær / þau | hafi |
Claiming and Reporting
Verbs like staðhæfa (to claim) and segja (to say) trigger this structure. Notice how the subordinate clause uses hafi to relay the past action.
| The lawyer claims that the defendant has told the truth. | Lögfræðingurinn staðhæfir að sakborningurinn hafi sagt sannleikann. |
| The journalist claims that the corruption has destroyed the company. | Blaðamaðurinn staðhæfir að spillingin hafi eyðilagt fyrirtækið. |
| The investigator says that the alleged thief has lied. | Rannsóknarmaðurinn segir að meinti þjófurinn hafi logið. |
Denying, Ruling Out, and Asserting
Other verbs of communication and deduction trigger the same indirect reporting structure.
The verb neita (to deny) takes the dative pronoun því before the að clause (literally translating as "denies it that..."). Verbs like útiloka (to rule out) and fullyrða (to assert) connect directly to að.
| The mayor denies that he has accepted the bribe. | Bæjarstjórinn neitar því að hann hafi þegið mútuna. |
| We cannot rule out that he has accepted many bribes. | Við getum ekki útilokað að hann hafi þegið margar mútur. |
| The accountant asserts that he has disproved the embezzlement. | Endurskoðandinn fullyrðir að hann hafi afsannað fjárdráttinn. |
Expressing Possibility with "Kunna"
To express that something might or may be the case, use the verb kunna. When indicating possibility, it is followed by að and the infinitive of the main verb.
| Since he might be guilty, the suspicion is strong. | Þar sem hann kann að vera sekur er grunurinn sterkur. |
| The alleged embezzlement might ruin his credibility. | Meinti fjárdrátturinn kann að eyðileggja trúverðugleika hans. |