Breakdown of Kolið verður stundum að demanti.
stundum
sometimes
verða
to become; will be
að
to, towards
kolið
the coal
demanturinn
the diamond
Questions & Answers about Kolið verður stundum að demanti.
Why do we use að here instead of just saying Kolið verður demantur?
While verða alone means to become, using verða að specifically emphasizes a physical transformation or a complete change from one state to another (turning into something else). Because að is a preposition, it forces the following noun into the dative case.
Why is the word for diamond demanti here instead of demantur?
The preposition að requires the dative case. Demantur is a strong masculine noun. To form the dative, it drops the -ur ending and takes an -i, becoming demanti.
Does kolið mean a specific piece of coal, or coal as a general substance?
It can mean both depending on the context, but here kolið (neuter, singular, definite) refers to the general substance. Icelandic frequently uses the definite article for general concepts or materials, whereas English usually leaves it bare (saying coal rather than the coal).
Where does the adverb stundum (sometimes) go if we start the sentence with it?
Because Icelandic enforces a strict verb-second rule, the verb verður must remain in the second position. If you start the sentence with stundum, the subject and verb must swap places: Stundum verður kolið að demanti.
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