Kjálkinn verður stífur en það varir ekki lengi.
The jaw will become stiff, but it does not last long.
Breakdown of Kjálkinn verður stífur en það varir ekki lengi.
en
but
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
ekki
not
lengi
for a long time
verða
to become; will be
stífur
stiff
kjálkinn
the jaw
vara
to last
Questions & Answers about Kjálkinn verður stífur en það varir ekki lengi.
Why do we use verður instead of er (is) to say 'will be' here?
This ties into the current lesson. When predicting a future state or describing a change of condition, Icelandic uses verða (to become) rather than vera (to be). Since the jaw isn't stiff yet but will get that way, verður accurately shows this future change in state.
Why does the adjective take the form stífur rather than the neuter dictionary form stíft?
Adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. The word kjálki (jaw) is a masculine noun. Since it is the subject of the sentence, the adjective takes the masculine, nominative, singular form, which is stífur.
If kjálkinn is masculine, why does the second part of the sentence use the neuter pronoun það (it)?
In this sentence, það does not refer back to the physical jaw itself. Instead, it refers to the general situation (the fact that the jaw is stiff). When referring to an abstract concept, an action, or a general state rather than a specific object, Icelandic uses the neuter pronoun það.
Doesn't the verb vara usually mean 'to warn'?
It can mean 'to warn' (often used with the preposition við), but it is also the standard verb used to say that something 'lasts' for a duration of time. The phrase ekki lengi (not long) is your clue that it means 'lasts' in this context.
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