Breakdown of Mér skilst að þróunin í tækninni sé mjög hröð núna.
vera
to be
mjög
very
núna
now
mér
me (dative)
Questions & Answers about Mér skilst að þróunin í tækninni sé mjög hröð núna.
How exactly does mér skilst translate to "I hear" or "I understand"?
Skilst is the middle-voice form of skilja (to understand). When used impersonally with a dative subject (mér), it literally translates to "it is understood to me." Icelandic uses this structure frequently to report information you've gathered, heard, or figured out, which is why it translates so naturally to "I hear that..." or "I get the impression that..." in English.
Why do we use the subjunctive sé instead of the indicative er after að?
The phrase mér skilst að indicates indirect speech or hearsay; you are reporting something you understood from elsewhere, rather than stating a direct, objective fact of your own. This element of reported information or slight distance from the claim triggers the subjunctive mood (sé) in the subordinate clause.
In English we just say "development in technology", but here it's þróunin í tækninni. Why are both words definite?
Icelandic frequently uses the definite article for abstract concepts and general fields of study (like tæknin, the technology, or þróunin, the development) where English would leave them bare. So, literally, this sentence says "the development in the technology."
Why does the adjective take the form hröð?