To describe the current state of an object or how it was made, use the static passive voice. This is formed using the verb vera (to be) followed by the past participle of an action verb.
To describe what a manufactured good is made of, you will frequently pair the static passive with the preposition úr (out of, from) followed by the material.
Agreement in the singular
When using the static passive, the past participle behaves like an adjective. It must agree with the subject of the sentence in gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter) and number. The case is always nominative.
Notice how the past participle endings change depending on the gender of the singular subject:
| The piece of jewelry is designed in Iceland. | Skartgripurinn er hannaður á Íslandi. |
| The shirt is sewn out of silk. | Skyrtan er saumuð úr silki. |
| The table upstairs is made out of steel. | Borðið uppi er gert úr stáli. |
Agreement in the plural
When the subject is plural, the verb vera becomes eru, and the past participle takes a plural ending that matches the subject's gender.
| The shoes are often manufactured abroad. | Skórnir eru oft framleiddir í útlöndum. |
| The bikes are always built out of steel. | Hjólin eru alltaf smíðuð úr stáli. |
States and conditions
You will also use this exact same grammatical pattern to describe the ongoing state or condition of things around you, such as whether a shop is open or closed.
| The shop is closed now. | Verslunin er lokuð núna. |