Breakdown of Ísbjörninn hlypi burt ef hann sæi snjóflóðið.
hann
he
sjá
to see
hlaupa
to run
ef
if
burt
away
ísbjörninn
the polar bear
snjóflóðið
the avalanche
Questions & Answers about Ísbjörninn hlypi burt ef hann sæi snjóflóðið.
How do we get the form hlypi from the verb hlaupa (to run)?
Hlaupa is a strong verb. To form the past subjunctive, we take the past tense plural stem, which is hlup- (from við hlupum), and apply an i-shift. The vowel u shifts to y. Then we add the subjunctive ending -i for the third-person singular, giving us hlypi.
How is the past subjunctive sæi formed from sjá (to see)?
We start with the past plural form of sjá, which is sáum. The stem is sá-. The i-shift rule changes the vowel á to æ. Adding the third-person singular subjunctive ending -i gives us sæi.
Why use the past subjunctive for both verbs if the sentence describes a present hypothetical situation?
In Icelandic, hypothetical conditions (meaning "would happen if...") use the past subjunctive in both the main clause (hlypi) and the "if" clause (ef hann sæi). Even though it is called the past subjunctive, in these conditional sentences it expresses an imaginary situation right now, not an actual past event.
What are the parts that make up the word snjóflóðið?
It is a compound of snjór (snow) and flóðið (the flood). Icelandic literally calls an avalanche a "snow flood". It is a neuter noun, shown here in the accusative case with the definite article attached because it is the direct object that the bear would see.
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