Reporting passive (það er talið að)

The Reporting Passive

When reading the news or discussing public opinion, we often talk about what "is said" or "is believed" without specifying exactly who said it. To express these rumors, beliefs, and general claims, Icelandic uses the impersonal reporting passive.

The formula translates directly from English: Það er (It is) + past participle + að (that) + clause.

You will frequently see these neuter past participles:

• sagt (said)
• talið (believed / considered)

Reporting the Past and the Subjunctive

To report what was said or believed in the past, simply change er to var (It was).

Notice the verbs happening inside the að clause. Because you are reporting indirect speech, rumors, or unconfirmed beliefs, the verb following að usually shifts into the subjunctive mood. You will often see the subjunctive auxiliary muni (will) for future events, or subjunctive forms of "to be" like sé (is) and væri (was).

Claims vs. Facts

You can easily change the tone of the report by swapping the past participle. Use fullyrt (claimed) for strong assertions.

When stating a widely accepted fact rather than a rumor, use vitað (known). Because vitað deals with solid facts, the verb inside its að clause usually stays in the standard indicative mood (like er) instead of switching to the subjunctive.