Breakdown of Slökkviliðið kemur um leið og það sér hættuna.
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
koma
to come
sjá
to see
um leið og
as soon as
slökkviliðið
the fire department
hættan
the danger
Questions & Answers about Slökkviliðið kemur um leið og það sér hættuna.
How does the phrase um leið og work in this sentence?
This phrase is a subordinating conjunction that means "as soon as" or "at the exact same time." Literally it translates to "around the way and." Here, it connects the main action (the fire department arriving) directly to the triggering event (seeing the danger).
Why do we use the neuter pronoun það for the fire department?
In Icelandic, pronouns must match the grammatical gender of the noun they refer to. The word slökkviliðið ends in lið (team or force), which is a neuter noun. Therefore, we use the neuter pronoun það (it), even though it refers to a group of people.
What are the parts that make up the word slökkviliðið?
Why is hættuna in the accusative case?
It is the direct object of the verb sér (sees). The root noun is hætta (danger), which is a feminine word. When we add the definite article "the" in the accusative case, hætta changes to hættuna.
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