Breakdown of Misheppnaðist verkefnið? Já, það var alveg misheppnað.
vera
to be
já
yes
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
verkefnið
the assignment
alveg
completely, totally
misheppnast
to go wrong
misheppnaður
failed
Questions & Answers about Misheppnaðist verkefnið? Já, það var alveg misheppnað.
How does the prefix mis- change the verb in this sentence?
The base verb is heppnast, which means 'to succeed' or 'to turn out well'. The prefix mis- reverses this meaning to create misheppnast ('to fail' or 'to go wrong'). The Icelandic prefix mis- works very much like 'mis-' or 'un-' in English, indicating something done incorrectly or the opposite of the root word.
Why does the verb misheppnaðist end in -st?
This is a middle voice verb. The base verb heppnast is a deponent verb, meaning it always takes the -st ending in all its conjugations, even though its meaning is active rather than reflexive or reciprocal. Therefore, the derived verb misheppnast also keeps this permanent -st ending.
Why does misheppnað in the second sentence drop the -st ending?
In the second sentence, misheppnað is the past participle of misheppnast functioning as an adjective to describe the project. A special rule for -st verbs is that when their past participle is used as an adjective, the -st ending is dropped. It is in the neuter singular form to agree with the pronoun það.
How would this sentence change if the speaker were asking about multiple projects?
The verb must agree with the plural subject, changing to the third-person plural past tense misheppnuðust, making the question: Misheppnuðust verkefnin? In the reply, the pronoun and adjective also change to the neuter plural: Já, þau voru alveg misheppnuð.
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