Breakdown of Það er fagnað á þorrablótinu um veturinn til að hittast.
vera
to be
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
að
to (infinitive marker)
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
hittast
to meet each other
til
to
um
over / during (a period of time)
veturinn
the winter
fagna
to celebrate
þorrablótið
the midwinter feast
Questions & Answers about Það er fagnað á þorrablótinu um veturinn til að hittast.
Why does the sentence use Það er fagnað instead of a subject like 'fólk' (people)?
This is the impersonal passive structure. By combining the dummy pronoun Það, the verb vera (er), and the neuter singular past participle fagnað, it translates to a general 'people celebrate' or 'there is celebrating.' The focus is entirely on the action happening rather than who is doing it.
Is fagnað a noun or a verb here?
It is the past participle of the verb fagna (to celebrate). In the impersonal passive, the main verb is always locked into its neuter singular past participle form, no matter what.
Why are different prepositions used for á þorrablótinu and um veturinn?
They express different relationships and trigger different cases. The preposition á is used for being at the event and takes the dative case here (þorrablótinu). For seasons and times of year, Icelandic uses um which triggers the accusative case (veturinn).
What does the -st ending on hittast mean?
This is the middle voice form of the verb. While the standard active verb hitta means 'to meet someone', adding -st makes the action reciprocal. It changes the meaning to 'to meet each other' or 'to meet up'.
Why do we need til að before hittast instead of just að?
The phrase til að translates specifically to 'in order to' or 'for the purpose of'. Using it makes it perfectly clear that meeting up is the main goal or reason for the celebration.
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