Breakdown of Lögreglan býst við því að það verði vindasamt í kvöld.
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
kvöldið
the evening
að
that (conjunction)
verða
to become; will be
lögreglan
the police
búast við
to expect (anticipate)
vindasamur
windy
Questions & Answers about Lögreglan býst við því að það verði vindasamt í kvöld.
Why does the verb býst end in -st, and how does it translate?
Býst is the middle voice form of the verb búa (to live/prepare). When put in the middle voice and combined with the preposition við (búast við), the meaning changes completely to "to expect". The form býst is the 3rd person singular present tense.
Why do we say við því að instead of just við að?
The verb phrase búast við requires its object to be in the dative case. When you are expecting a whole clause rather than a simple noun, Icelandic inserts the pronoun það (it) as a placeholder. Since it follows við, það takes its dative form, því. This creates the structure við því að (literally: "with it that").
Why is the verb verði used instead of the indicative verður?
Verði is the present subjunctive form of verða (to be/become). Verbs of expectation, belief, or uncertainty like búast við trigger the subjunctive mood in the following clause because the event hasn't happened yet and isn't a hard fact.
Why is the adjective vindasamt in the neuter form?
When talking about the weather, Icelandic uses the dummy subject það (it). Because það is a neuter pronoun, the adjective vindasamur (windy) must agree with it, giving us the neuter form vindasamt.
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