Breakdown of Við sjáum skýin og það fer að hvessa.
og
and
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
við
we
fara
to go
að
to (infinitive marker)
sjá
to see
hvessa
to get windy
skýið
the cloud
Questions & Answers about Við sjáum skýin og það fer að hvessa.
How does fer að work in this sentence? Doesn't fara usually mean 'to go'?
While fara literally means 'to go', combining fara að with an infinitive verb (here, hvessa) creates an idiom meaning 'to start doing' or 'to be about to do' something. So það fer að hvessa translates to 'it is starting to get windy' or 'it is about to get windy'.
Could I use byrjar að (starts to) instead of fer að here?
You could say það byrjar að hvessa, but fara að is much more natural and common for gradual changes, especially with the weather. It gives the sense that a change in the wind is currently brewing or getting underway.
Why is the word for 'the clouds' skýin? What case and gender is this?
Ský (cloud) is a neuter noun. Neuter words often look exactly the same in the plural as they do in the singular. Because it is the direct object of sjáum (we see), it is in the accusative case. The neuter plural accusative form is just ský, and when you attach the definite article suffix, it becomes skýin (the clouds).
What kind of verb is hvessa and how is it used?
Learn Við sjáum skýin og það fer að hvessa and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free