Breakdown of Unginn horfir þangað sem fæðan er.
vera
to be
horfa
to watch
þangað sem
to where
unginn
the chick
fæðan
the food (nourishment)
Questions & Answers about Unginn horfir þangað sem fæðan er.
Why do we use þangað sem here instead of þar sem?
Þar sem refers to a stationary location (meaning "where" or "in that place"). Because the chick is directing its gaze towards a location, we need the directional adverb þangað ("to there"). The word sem then links it to the rest of the clause, giving us "to where".
I learned that "to look at" is horfa á. Why is there no á in this sentence?
You use horfa á when looking at a specific object, like in ég horfi á sjónvarpið. But when you are looking in a direction, you drop the á and just use horfa directly with a directional adverb like þangað.
Does þangað ever need a preposition like til before it to mean "to"?
No, þangað already has the meaning of "to" built right into it. It translates literally as "to there" or "thither". Adding a preposition like til or á in front of it would be redundant.
Why use fæðan for "the food" instead of the more common word maturinn?
Matur generally refers to meals, dishes, or human food. Fæða (here with the definite article -n attached as fæðan) is used more for "nourishment", "diet", or the natural food sources of animals. Since the sentence is about a bird finding its food in the wild, fæðan is the most natural choice.
Learn Unginn horfir þangað sem fæðan er 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