Breakdown of Þegar árstíðin breytist fljúga þeir þangað sem hlýtt er.
vera
to be
þeir
they (m)
fljúga
to fly
hlýr
warm
þegar
when
breytast
to change (intransitive)
þangað sem
to where
árstíðin
the season
Questions & Answers about Þegar árstíðin breytist fljúga þeir þangað sem hlýtt er.
Why use þangað sem instead of just þar sem here?
Because the action is directional. Þar sem means 'where' (in a stationary location), but þangað sem means 'to where' (destination). Since they are flying (fljúga), the motion requires the directional word þangað.
Why does the main verb fljúga come before the subject þeir?
This is the V2 (verb-second) rule in action. The entire dependent clause Þegar árstíðin breytist counts as the first piece of information in the sentence. To keep the main verb in the second position, fljúga has to come right next, pushing þeir after it.
Why does the verb breytist have an -st ending?
This is the middle voice. The normal active verb breyta means 'to change' something else (like changing your clothes). When something changes by itself, like a season, Icelandic adds -st to show there's no direct object being acted upon.
Why is the adjective hlýtt (warm) in the neuter form?
In Icelandic, when you describe general weather or temperature without pointing to a specific noun, you use the neuter singular form. It acts like the English 'it is warm', even though the word 'it' (það) isn't actually in the sentence here.
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