Breakdown of Hún sagði að stjórinn væri ekki viðstaddur.
vera
to be
hún
she
ekki
not
að
that (conjunction)
segja
to say
stjórinn
the boss
viðstaddur
present
Questions & Answers about Hún sagði að stjórinn væri ekki viðstaddur.
Why do we use væri instead of the regular past tense var here?
This is the core of reported speech in Icelandic! Because the main verb sagði (said) is in the past tense, the verb in the reported að (that) clause usually shifts into the past subjunctive mood. So, instead of the regular past tense var, we use the subjunctive væri.
What would the original, direct quote look like before it was reported?
If she were speaking directly, she would have said: "Stjórinn er ekki viðstaddur" (The boss is not present). When we report it in the past tense, the present indicative er backshifts to the past subjunctive væri.
Does the word að always force the verb into the subjunctive mood?
No, að just means "that". For example, if you state a known fact, you use the normal indicative mood: Ég veit að stjórinn er hér (I know that the boss is here). It is the act of reporting someone else's words or thoughts, especially after a past tense verb like sagði, that triggers the subjunctive here.
Why does viðstaddur end in "-ur"?
Viðstaddur is an adjective meaning "present" or "in attendance". Like all Icelandic adjectives, it has to agree with the noun it describes. Since stjórinn (the boss) is a masculine noun in the nominative case, the adjective takes the masculine nominative ending -ur.
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