Breakdown of Vélbúnaðurinn byrjar að hreyfast þannig að hurðin opnast.
að
to (infinitive marker)
hurðin
the door
byrja
to start
opnast
to open (by itself)
hreyfast
to move
vélbúnaðurinn
the mechanism
þannig að
so / with the result that
Questions & Answers about Vélbúnaðurinn byrjar að hreyfast þannig að hurðin opnast.
Why is opnast in the indicative mood instead of the subjunctive?
Þannig að is followed by the indicative when it expresses a real result (with the result that). If it were expressing an intended purpose (in order that), it would take the subjunctive. Here, the door opening is the factual consequence of the mechanism moving, so the indicative opnast is used.
Both hreyfast and opnast end in -st. What is the exact function of the middle voice here?
In this sentence, the -st ending makes both verbs intransitive, meaning the action happens to the subject without it acting on an outside object. Að hreyfa means to move something else, while að hreyfast means to physically move oneself. Similarly, að opna means to open something, but að opnast means to open on its own.
How does the word vélbúnaðurinn break down, and is it a common pattern?
It is a compound of vél (machine) and búnaður (equipment or gear), with the masculine definite article -inn attached. The word búnaður is highly productive in Icelandic for technical concepts; for example, hugbúnaður means software (mind-equipment) and vélbúnaður is used for hardware or machinery.
Does þannig að affect the word order of the clause that follows it?
Yes, because þannig að is a subordinating conjunction. Subordinate clauses in Icelandic generally follow a strict Subject-Verb order, which is why we see hurðin opnast without any verb-second (V2) inversion. The subject (hurðin) stays firmly in front of the verb (opnast).
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