Breakdown of Leikararnir leika vel þótt lýsingin sé slæm.
vera
to be
vel
well
slæmur
bad
leika
to play (as a child, act)
leikarinn
the actor
þótt
although
lýsingin
the lighting
Questions & Answers about Leikararnir leika vel þótt lýsingin sé slæm.
Why is the verb sé used here instead of the regular word for "is", er?
The word sé is the present subjunctive form of vera (to be). In Icelandic, the conjunction þótt (even though / although) always forces the verb in its clause to take the subjunctive mood.
The lesson mentions both þó að and þótt. Could I use þó að in this sentence instead?
Yes, absolutely. Þó að and þótt mean the exact same thing and both trigger the subjunctive. You could write ...þó að lýsingin sé slæm without changing the meaning or grammar of the sentence at all.
Are leikararnir (the actors) and leika (perform) related words?
Yes, they share the same root. The verb að leika means to play or to act, and adding the suffix creates the noun leikari (actor). Using a verb and noun from the same family right next to each other like this sounds completely natural in Icelandic.
Why is the adjective for "bad" spelled slæm here instead of slæmur or slæmt?
Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. The noun here is lýsingin (the lighting), which comes from the feminine word lýsing. Because it is a feminine noun in the nominative case, the adjective takes the feminine nominative form, which is slæm.
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