Breakdown of Við sitjum hér og tölum um það að uppfæra hugbúnaðinn.
hér
here
og
and
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
við
we
tala
to speak
sitja
to sit
að
to (infinitive marker)
um
about
uppfæra
to update
hugbúnaðurinn
the software
Questions & Answers about Við sitjum hér og tölum um það að uppfæra hugbúnaðinn.
Why do we say um það að uppfæra instead of just translating 'about updating' as um að uppfæra?
In Icelandic, prepositions like um cannot attach directly to an infinitive verb phrase. They need a noun or a pronoun as an object. To make the grammar work, we insert the dummy pronoun það as a bridge. Literally, you are saying that you sit and talk 'about it, to update the software'.
Since the dummy pronoun can be either það or því, why is it það in this sentence?
The choice between það (accusative) and því (dative) depends entirely on the preposition. The preposition um always governs the accusative case, so we use það. If the sentence used a dative-governing preposition like frá (from), the phrase would be frá því að.
Is hugbúnaðinn in the accusative case because of the preposition um?
No, the grammatical influence of um stops at the pronoun það. The noun hugbúnaðinn is accusative simply because it is the direct object of the verb uppfæra (to update). By the way, hugbúnaður is a great compound word: it combines hugur (mind) and búnaður (equipment) to mean 'software'!
Why isn't there a second við before tölum?
Just like in English ('We sit here and talk'), you don't need to repeat the subject pronoun when connecting two verbs with og (and). Because sitjum and tölum are both conjugated in the first-person plural form, it is already perfectly clear that við is the subject doing both actions.
Learn Við sitjum hér og tölum um það að uppfæra hugbúnaðinn and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free