Breakdown of Þessi tölva er reyndar svo hraðvirk að afkastagetan er frábær.
vera
to be
tölvan
the computer
þessi
this (m/f)
að
that (conjunction)
frábær
fantastic
svo
so (to such a degree)
reyndar
actually, in fact
hraðvirkur
fast (working quickly, fast-acting)
afkastagetan
the performance (capacity, throughput)
Questions & Answers about Þessi tölva er reyndar svo hraðvirk að afkastagetan er frábær.
Does reyndar here imply that someone previously thought the computer was slow?
Yes, it often does! Reyndar translates to 'actually' or 'as a matter of fact.' In this sentence, it acts as a hedge that gently contradicts a prior assumption or adds a surprisingly positive point to the conversation.
Could I put reyndar at the beginning of the sentence, like 'Reyndar þessi tölva er...'?
No, because Icelandic strictly follows the V2 (verb-second) rule. If you start with Reyndar, the verb must come immediately next: Reyndar er þessi tölva... In our example sentence, it sits in the standard spot for a mid-sentence adverb, right after the finite verb er.
Why use hraðvirk for 'fast' instead of just hröð?
Hraðvirkur specifically means 'fast-working' or 'quick to process' (combining hraður for fast, and virkur for active/working). While hröð just means general speed, hraðvirk is the most natural, idiomatic choice when talking about the processing speed of computers and machines.
Why does afkastagetan (performance) have the definite article -n attached?
In Icelandic, when you talk about a specific attribute belonging to a subject you just mentioned (like this computer's performance), you use the definite form. English often leaves this bare ('performance is excellent'), but Icelandic prefers afkastagetan to clarify it is the performance of this specific machine.
Does the svo ... að ... (so ... that ...) structure work exactly like it does in English?
Yes, it is a direct parallel used to express a result or consequence. Just keep in mind that að here acts as a subordinating conjunction, which can affect word order if you add more adverbs to the second half of the sentence.
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