Breakdown of Það er talið að vatnsberinn sé mjög stjórngjarn.
vera
to be
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
mjög
very
að
that (conjunction)
telja
to believe, to consider
vatnsberinn
the Aquarius
stjórngjarn
controlling
Questions & Answers about Það er talið að vatnsberinn sé mjög stjórngjarn.
How does the suffix -gjarn work in the word stjórngjarn?
Why is the verb sé used here instead of er?
sé is the subjunctive form of vera. It is used here because the clause follows Það er talið að... (It is believed that...). Verbs expressing belief, opinion, or indirect reporting usually trigger the subjunctive mood in the dependent clause.
How is the word vatnsberinn constructed?
It literally translates to 'the water carrier'. It is formed from vatns (the genitive case of vatn, meaning water), beri (a weak masculine noun meaning carrier), and the attached definite article -nn. In Icelandic, this is the standard term for the astrological sign Aquarius.
Why is the past participle talið in the neuter form?
talið is the neuter, nominative singular past participle of telja (to believe or count). It must take this neuter form to agree grammatically with the neuter dummy pronoun Það in the passive construction Það er talið (It is believed).
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