Breakdown of Minnið er óskýrt. Hvað er að gerast?
vera
to be
hvað
what
að
to (infinitive marker)
minnið
the memory (faculty, computer)
Questions & Answers about Minnið er óskýrt. Hvað er að gerast?
I thought this lesson was about the verb "minna" (to recall). Is "minnið" a form of that verb?
No, minnið is actually a noun here! While the verb minna is used in quirky subject phrases like mig minnir (I recall), minnið in this sentence is the neuter noun minni (memory) with the definite article -ð attached. It simply means "the memory".
Why does "óskýrt" end in a "-t" and how does the word break down?
Why is it "gerast" instead of just "gera"?
The -st ending is the middle voice marker. While the active verb gera means "to do" or "to make", the middle voice gerast means "to happen". It shifts the focus from someone doing an action to an event simply occurring.
Is "er að gerast" the standard way to say that something is happening right now?
Yes! This uses the continuous present tense structure: the verb vera (to be) + að + the infinitive verb. Hvað er að gerast? is the standard equivalent of the English "What is happening?".