Breakdown of Þrýstingurinn verður mikill um leið og tannlæknirinn herðir vírinn.
mikill
great, much (adjective: snjórinn er mikill)
verða
to become; will be
tannlæknirinn
the dentist
um leið og
as soon as
þrýstingurinn
the pressure
herða
to tighten
vírinn
the wire
Questions & Answers about Þrýstingurinn verður mikill um leið og tannlæknirinn herðir vírinn.
Why does this sentence use verður instead of er for 'will be'?
In Icelandic, the present tense of vera (to be) usually describes how things are right now. To talk about a future state, feeling, or condition, we use verða (to become). So þrýstingurinn verður mikill means the pressure will be (or will become) great once the action happens.
Why is the adjective mikill in the nominative case? Doesn't the verb force it into an object case?
Just like vera (to be), the verb verða is a linking verb. It connects a subject to its description without taking a direct object. Since the subject þrýstingurinn is a masculine word in the nominative case, the adjective mikill must also be in the masculine nominative form to match it.
How does um leið og translate to 'as soon as'?
It is a very common fixed phrase that translates to 'as soon as' or 'at the same time as'. Word-for-word it looks something like 'around the way and', but you should treat it as a single vocabulary chunk used to link two events in time.
Why is vírinn (the wire) in the accusative case while tannlæknirinn (the dentist) is nominative?
Because vírinn is the direct object receiving the action of the verb herða (to tighten). The dentist is the subject performing the action, so tannlæknirinn stays in the nominative case, while the wire being tightened changes to the accusative case.
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