Breakdown of Ég efast um að kvæðið sé fornt.
vera
to be
ég
I
um
about
að
that (conjunction)
forn
ancient
efast
to doubt
kvæðið
the poem (traditional)
Questions & Answers about Ég efast um að kvæðið sé fornt.
Why is the subjunctive verb sé used here instead of the indicative er?
The verb efast (to doubt) expresses uncertainty. In Icelandic, subordinate clauses that follow expressions of doubt, hope, or uncertainty require the subjunctive mood. Therefore, we use sé (the present subjunctive of vera) instead of the standard indicative er.
Does the verb efast always need the preposition um?
Yes, when you are stating what it is you doubt, you must use efast um. You can say ég efast if you just mean "I doubt it" on its own, but because this sentence introduces exactly what is being doubted with an að (that) clause, the um is required.
Why does the adjective fornt end in a -t?
Fornt is the neuter singular form of the adjective forn (ancient, old). It must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes, which is kvæðið (the poem), a neuter noun.
How does the verb efast conjugate for other pronouns like "she" or "we"?
Like many middle voice verbs ending in -st in Icelandic, efast is quite simple to conjugate in the present tense because it stays exactly the same for all singular and plural pronouns. So "she doubts" is hún efast and "we doubt" is við efast.
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