Breakdown of Frumsýningin hefst eftir tuttugu mínútur.
mínútan
the minute (f)
eftir
after / for (waiting for)
tuttugu
twenty
hefjast
to begin
frumsýningin
the premiere
Questions & Answers about Frumsýningin hefst eftir tuttugu mínútur.
Why does eftir translate to "in" here instead of "after"?
When talking about a future event, the preposition eftir followed by a length of time in the accusative case acts as a time anchor meaning "in" that amount of time from now. So eftir tuttugu mínútur means "in twenty minutes".
Is the word for minutes in the accusative case here?
Yes! The preposition eftir requires the accusative case when used to mean "in" a certain amount of time. The number tuttugu (twenty) does not change its form, but mínútur is the accusative plural form of the feminine noun mínúta.
Why does the verb hefst end in "-st"?
This is the middle voice form of the verb hefja (to start or lift). While hefja requires an object because it means someone starts something, the -st version, hefjast, means that the subject itself starts. So frumsýningin hefst means "the premiere begins".
How is the word frumsýningin put together?
It is a compound made of the prefix frum- (meaning first or primary) and the noun sýning (show or exhibition). The -in at the end is the attached definite article, making it literally "the first show" or "the premiere".
Why is the present tense verb hefst used for a future event?
Icelandic frequently uses the present tense to talk about the future, especially for scheduled events. The time anchor eftir tuttugu mínútur makes it obvious that the action is happening in the future, so no extra future-tense helping verbs are needed.
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