Breakdown of Við fundum skjalið en það var torlesið.
vera
to be
en
but
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
við
we
finna
to find
skjalið
the document
torlesinn
hard to read
Questions & Answers about Við fundum skjalið en það var torlesið.
How is the word torlesið formed in this sentence?
It is made by combining the prefix tor-, which means 'with difficulty' or 'hard to', with lesið, the past participle of the verb lesa (to read). This is a common way to turn a verb into an adjective describing how hard an action is to perform.
Why does torlesið end with -ið?
Because it acts as an adjective describing það (it), which refers back to skjalið (the document). Since skjal is a neuter noun, the pronoun það is neuter, and the adjective must take the neuter singular nominative ending -ið. If we were talking about a masculine noun like textinn (the text), it would be hann var torlesinn.
If the document was easy to read instead, how would this sentence change?
Is it also correct to say ...en það var erfitt að lesa það? How does that compare to torlesið?
Yes, using erfitt að (difficult to) plus the infinitive lesa is perfectly correct and very common in everyday spoken Icelandic. Using the tor- prefix makes the sentence a bit more concise and sounds slightly more formal or written, which fits well since we are talking about a document (skjal).
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