Breakdown of Við trúum því ekki að tófan skuli sofa í bakgarðinum.
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
ekki
not
við
we
sofa
to sleep
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
trúa
to believe
að
that (conjunction)
skulu
to shall / to promise to
tófan
the arctic fox
bakgarðurinn
the backyard
Questions & Answers about Við trúum því ekki að tófan skuli sofa í bakgarðinum.
Why do we use the verb skulu here? Does it mean the fox is obligated to sleep there?
No, there is no obligation here. This is the modal of subjective surprise. In Icelandic, skulu (here in the present subjunctive form skuli) is used in að clauses after expressions of emotion, surprise, or disbelief, such as trúum því ekki. It translates closer to "would" or "should" in the sense of astonishment, emphasizing how surprising it is that the fox is sleeping there.
Why is the word því included before að? Can we leave it out?
You should not leave it out. The verb trúa requires its object to be in the dative case. When the object is an entire að clause, Icelandic grammar requires a placeholder pronoun in the matching case right before the clause. Því is the dative form of það (it), acting as a bridge: literally, "We do not believe it, that...".
I usually see refur used for fox. Is tófan a different animal?
They are the same animal. Refur is the standard, general word for a fox. Tófa (here in the definite form tófan) is a uniquely Icelandic word specifically for the native Arctic fox. It is very common in everyday speech, folklore, and nature discussions, sometimes carrying a slightly more familiar or rustic tone.
Why is bakgarðinum in the dative case?
The preposition í controls the dative case when it describes a stationary position or state, which is the case here since the fox is just sleeping in one place. If the sentence described movement into the backyard, í would take the accusative case instead.
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