Learn Icelandic: Þar sem umferðarteppan er mikil, komum við seint. - Since the traffic jam is heavy, we will arrive late.

Þar sem umferðarteppan er mikil, komum við seint.

Since the traffic jam is heavy, we will arrive late.

Breakdown of Þar sem umferðarteppan er mikil, komum við seint.

Questions & Answers about Þar sem umferðarteppan er mikil, komum við seint.

Why does þar sem mean 'since' here when the words literally mean 'there where'?

Þar sem is a subordinating conjunction that means 'since' or 'because' when introducing a reason. While it can literally mean 'there where' in a physical sense, in this context it functions exactly like 'since' in English to explain why an event is happening.

Why is the word order komum við instead of við komum after the comma?

This is the V2 (verb-second) rule in action. The entire dependent clause (Þar sem umferðarteppan er mikil) counts as the first piece of information in the sentence. To keep the main verb in the second position, the verb komum must come right before the subject við.

Why is komum translated as 'will arrive' when it is actually in the present tense?

Icelandic does not have a dedicated future tense built into its verbs. Instead, it very commonly uses the present tense to talk about future events, especially when the context makes it clear that the action has not happened yet.

How is the word umferðarteppan built?

It is a compound noun made of umferð (traffic) and teppa (a jam or blockage). The -n at the very end is the attached definite article, making it 'the traffic jam' instead of just 'a traffic jam'.