Word
Þetta er lokakallið og við erum um það bil að missa af fluginu.
Meaning
This is the final call and we are just about to miss the flight.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Þetta er lokakallið og við erum um það bil að missa af fluginu.
þetta
this
vera
to be
og
and
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
Questions & Answers about Þetta er lokakallið og við erum um það bil að missa af fluginu.
How does the phrase vera um það bil að work to show the immediate future?
Um það bil is a fixed phrase that literally means "around that interval" or "approximately." When you combine it with the verb vera (to be) and the infinitive marker að, it creates the immediate future aspect. Just like in English, við erum um það bil að missa af translates directly to "we are just about to miss."
Why do we need the preposition af after missa?
If you just use the verb missa alone, it usually means "to lose" something (like losing your keys or a loved one), and it takes an accusative object. To express "missing" an event, a vehicle, or an opportunity, you must use the phrasal verb missa af. Because the preposition af always triggers the dative case, flugið (the flight) changes to its dative form, fluginu.
How is the word lokakallið constructed?
It is a compound noun made of the prefix loka- (meaning "final" or "end," derived from the noun lok) and the noun kall (call), plus the attached definite article -ið. The prefix loka- is extremely common in Icelandic for expressing finality, such as in lokapróf (final exam) or lokaákvörðun (final decision).
Why is the neuter pronoun þetta used at the beginning of the sentence?