Expanding the Present Perfect
In the previous lesson, you learned how to form the present perfect using hafa and the supine (sagnbót) of Group 1 verbs (which always end in -að). Now we'll expand this to Group 2 and 3 weak verbs.
Forming the Supine for Group 2 and 3 Verbs
For most Group 2 and 3 verbs, drop the -a from the infinitive and add -t.
- keppa (to compete) → keppt
- reisa (to build) → reist
- týna (to lose) → týnt
| I have competed in her tournament. | Ég hef keppt á mótinu hennar. |
| The family has built a large house. | Fjölskyldan hefur reist stórt hús. |
| You have lost your passport. | Þú hefur týnt vegabréfinu þínu. |
Verbs with Stems Ending in "-t"
If the verb's stem already ends in -t, the spelling of the supine adjusts slightly:
- After a vowel, the supine becomes -tt (e.g., bæta → bætt).
- After a consonant cluster like -st or -pt, the supine keeps that spelling (e.g., treysta → treyst, skipta → skipt).
| She has improved his record. | Hún hefur bætt metið hans. |
| I have always trusted their doctor. | Ég hef alltaf treyst lækninum þeirra. |
Verbs with Prepositions
For phrasal verbs like skipta um (to change) or missa af (to miss), the preposition immediately follows the supine.
| He has changed jobs. | Hann hefur skipt um vinnu. |
| Have you missed the bus? | Hefur þú misst af strætónum? |
Milestones
Combine these verbs with life-event vocabulary to talk about achievements.
| the milestone | áfanginn |
| This is an important milestone but she has not shown up. | Þetta er mikilvægur áfangi en hún hefur ekki mætt. |
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