Breakdown of Starfsvalið verður að vera raunhæft, er það ekki?
vera
to be
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
ekki
not
verða að
to have to (verða að)
starfsvalið
the career choice
raunhæfur
realistic
Questions & Answers about Starfsvalið verður að vera raunhæft, er það ekki?
Why do we use verður að vera for "must be" here instead of hlýtur að vera?
Verða að expresses a requirement or obligation, meaning the choice has to be realistic. Hljóta að is used for logical deductions, like when you say "That must be the right answer" because you figured it out. Here, we are stating a requirement, not making a deduction.
Why does the adjective raunhæft end in -t?
It is agreeing with the subject of the sentence, starfsvalið. The core noun here is val (choice), which is a neuter noun. Because of this, the adjective raunhæfur (realistic) takes the neuter singular nominative ending, becoming raunhæft.
What is the function of the -s- in the middle of starfsvalið?
It is a connecting letter commonly used in Icelandic compound words. It comes from the genitive (possessive) case of the first word. By combining starf (job) and valið (the choice), the -s- links them together, essentially meaning "the job's choice".
Does Icelandic always use er það ekki? for tag questions like "right?"
Generally, yes! Unlike English, which constantly changes the tag based on the subject and the verb (like "didn't they?", "hasn't she?", "aren't we?"), Icelandic keeps it incredibly simple. You can almost always tack on er það ekki? (literally "is it not?") to seek agreement at the end of a statement.
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