In Icelandic, the dummy subject það (it/there) often fills the first position in a sentence when stating that something exists or happens. This works just like "there is" or "there are" in English. For example, standard word order would be: Það stendur stórt fiskabúr hér. (There stands a large aquarium here.)
Because Icelandic is a strict "verb-second" (V2) language, the conjugated verb must always be the second element in a main clause.
Dropping "Það" in Inverted Sentences
If you start a sentence with an adverb or a prepositional phrase, the verb must immediately follow it to keep its second-place position. When this happens, the dummy subject það is completely deleted. You do not say Hér stendur það...—you just drop the það entirely.
Notice how það disappears when an adverb starts the sentence:
| Here stands a large aquarium. | Hér stendur stórt fiskabúr. |
| Tomorrow arrives a new bottom-feeder. | Á morgun kemur nýr botnfiskur. |
The exact same rule applies when beginning a sentence with a prepositional phrase, such as a location:
| On the bottom is black gravel. | Á botninum er svört möl. |
| Next to the stone grows a beautiful water plant. | Við steininn vex falleg vatnaplanta. |
| In the filter lives a good bacteria. | Í síunni lifir góð baktería. |
