Breakdown of Hún spáir um það að stjörnumerkið þitt fái góðan dag.
hún
she
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
góður
good
þinn
your (sg.)
dagurinn
the day (m)
um
about
fá
to get
að
that (conjunction)
stjörnumerkið
the zodiac sign
spá
to predict
Questions & Answers about Hún spáir um það að stjörnumerkið þitt fái góðan dag.
Why is fái used here, and how is it formed from fá?
Fái is the present subjunctive of the strong verb fá (to get/receive). It is used here because predicting something (spá að) involves expectation and uncertainty about the future, which triggers the subjunctive. For strong verbs, you form the present subjunctive by taking the infinitive stem (fá-) and adding the subjunctive endings. The third-person singular ending is -i, giving us fái.
Why does the sentence use um það að instead of just að (that)?
The verb spá (to predict) often pairs with the preposition um (about). In Icelandic, you generally cannot put a preposition directly in front of the conjunction að when introducing a new clause. Instead, you must insert the dummy pronoun það (it) to hold the space. So, spáir um það að literally translates to 'predicts about it that'.
Why does it say fái góðan dag to mean 'have a good day'?
The verb fá literally means 'to get' or 'to receive'. While in English we talk about having a good day, the natural idiom in Icelandic is to talk about getting a good day.
Why is the word for 'your' written as þitt here rather than þinn?
Possessive pronouns must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. Stjörnumerki (star sign / zodiac sign) is a neuter noun. Because it is the subject of the second half of the sentence, it is in the nominative case. Þitt is the neuter, nominative, singular form of 'your'.
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