Question 1

Why is sé used here instead of the regular present tense er?

Accepted Answer

The verb efast (to doubt) expresses uncertainty. In Icelandic, verbs of doubt and denial—like efast um að and neita því að—trigger the subjunctive mood in the clause that follows them. Because of this rule, we must use the present subjunctive sé rather than the indicative er.

Question 2

Why is the preposition um included before að? Can I just say efast að?

Accepted Answer

You cannot drop um. In Icelandic, the verb efast pairs specifically with the preposition um to mean "to doubt". When followed by an að clause, the preposition must stay, creating the fixed phrase efast um að (literally "doubts about that").

Question 3

If we changed this sentence to the past tense ("The prosecutor doubted..."), how would the verbs change?

Accepted Answer

The main verb would become the past tense efaðist. Because the main verb would now be in the past, the subjunctive verb in the next clause must also shift to the past subjunctive, becoming væri. The full sentence would be: Saksóknarinn efaðist um að vitnisburðurinn væri sannur.

Question 4

Is efast a middle-voice verb? What is its active form?

Accepted Answer

Yes, efast is a middle-voice verb (indicated by the -st ending), but it is a "deponent" verb. This means it only exists in this -st form and does not have a standard active equivalent without the -st. It simply carries the active meaning "to doubt".

Question 5

How does the noun vitnisburðurinn break down?

Accepted Answer

It is a compound of vitni (witness) and burður (bearing or carrying, related to the verb bera). The -s- links the two parts, and -inn is the attached definite masculine article. Literally, it means "the bearing of witness".

Saksóknarinn efast um að vitnisburðurinn sé sannur.

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