Breakdown of Við vitum að halakartan verður að froski.
við
we
vita
to know (a fact, information)
verða
to become; will be
að
to, towards
halakartan
the tadpole
froskurinn
the frog
Questions & Answers about Við vitum að halakartan verður að froski.
Why is froski in the dative case here?
The phrase verða að, when meaning "to turn into", requires the following noun to be in the dative case. The base word for frog is froskur (nominative), which drops the -ur and adds an -i to become the dative froski.
Doesn't verða að usually mean "have to" or "must"?
Yes! When verða að is followed by a verb in the infinitive, it means "must" (like við verðum að fara - we have to go). However, when it is followed by a noun in the dative case, as it is here with froski, it expresses a physical transformation meaning "turns into".
Could we just say halakartan verður froskur without the word að?
Not quite. While verða alone means "to become" and takes the nominative case, it is typically used for adjectives (becoming cold) or life milestones like professions (becoming a doctor). For a literal, physical transformation from one entity into another, you need verða að plus the dative case.
What makes up the word halakartan?
It is a compound word made of hali (tail) and karta (toad), essentially meaning "tail-toad". Here it acts as the subject of the subordinate clause, so it is in the nominative case with the feminine definite article attached at the end, making it halakartan (the tadpole).
Learn Við vitum að halakartan verður að froski and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free