Subjunctive in Indefinite Relative Clauses
When describing an ideal person or thing you are searching for, you might not know if they actually exist. In Icelandic, when a relative clause (starting with sem, meaning "who", "which", or "that") describes an indefinite or hypothetical noun, the verb inside the clause takes the subjunctive mood.
For the verb vera (to be), the present subjunctive form for the third person is sé.
| We are looking for an employee who is reliable and organized. | Við leitum að starfsmanni sem sé áreiðanlegur og skipulagður. |
If you were describing a specific employee you had already hired, you would use the indicative mood (er). Because this candidate is hypothetical, you use the subjunctive (sé). This also applies when asking if such a person exists:
| Is there a candidate who is ambitious and driven? | Er til umsækjandi sem sé metnaðarfullur og drifinn? |
Other Verbs in the Subjunctive
This rule applies to any verb within the indefinite relative clause. For example, hafa (to have) becomes hafi, and geta (to be able to) becomes geti.
| The CEO needs a manager who has great professionalism. | Forstjórann vantar stjórnanda sem hafi mikla fagmennsku. |
| We need an independent candidate who can solve the problem. | Okkur vantar sjálfstæðan umsækjanda sem geti leyst vandamálið. |
Expressing Uncertainty and Desire
Because the subjunctive deals with the hypothetical, it is frequently used when expressing doubt about finding the right person, or when stating a desire for someone you haven't found yet.
| I do not know whether we will find an employee who is solution-oriented. | Ég veit ekki hvort við finnum starfsmann sem sé lausnamiðaður. |
| We want a programmer who is independent and smart. | Við viljum forritara sem sé sjálfstæður og klár. |