When reading horoscopes or consulting a fortune teller, you will often express hopes, predictions, and requirements about the future. Just like with regular verbs, these expressions trigger the present subjunctive (viðtengingarháttur nútíðar).
Strong verbs (like finna, fá, and sjá) and Group 3 weak verbs (like segja) are highly predictable in the present subjunctive. To form it, take the infinitive of the verb, remove the final -a (if it has one), and add the standard subjunctive endings: -i, -ir, -i for the singular, and -um, -ið, -i for the plural.
| Pronoun | finna (Strong) | segja (Group 3) |
|---|
| ég | finni | segi |
| þú | finnir | segir |
| hann/hún/það | finni | segi |
| við | finnum | segjum |
| þið | finnið | segið |
| þeir/þær/þau | finni | segi |
Note: For Group 3 verbs with a "j" in the infinitive like segja, the "j" drops out before the "i" endings, but remains before the "u" ending.
For strong verbs that already end in a vowel in the infinitive, like sjá (to see) or fá (to get), you simply attach the endings directly to the infinitive (e.g., ég sjái, hún fái).
Expressing Hopes
When discussing fate and the future, the phrase vona að (hope that) is very common. It always forces the verb in the following clause into the subjunctive.
Expressing Importance and Framing Predictions
Phrases that declare something to be important, like það er mikilvægt að (it is important that), also require the subjunctive mood. Furthermore, framing a prediction or a topic of discussion with að—such as spá um það að (predict that) or tala um það að (talk about the fact that)—often triggers the subjunctive for the action being discussed.