Breakdown of Þar sem hann kann að vera sekur er grunurinn sterkur.
vera
to be
hann
he
að
to (infinitive marker)
sterkur
strong / spicy, hot (of food)
þar sem
since
sekur
guilty
kunna
might / may (possibility)
grunurinn
the suspicion
Questions & Answers about Þar sem hann kann að vera sekur er grunurinn sterkur.
Why don't we use a subjunctive form like hafi verið here to express uncertainty or an indirect report?
The phrase kunna að (meaning 'might' or 'may') expresses the uncertainty directly using the indicative mood (kann). We aren't indirectly reporting what someone else said happened in the past, but rather stating a current possibility, so the present perfect subjunctive isn't triggered.
Doesn't þar sem literally mean 'there where'? How does it translate to 'since'?
While þar sem literally translates to 'there where' and is used for physical locations, it is also the standard conjunction for 'since' or 'because' in Icelandic. Context tells you which meaning is intended.
Why is the verb er placed before the subject grunurinn in the second half of the sentence?
I originally learned that kunna means 'to know how to'. Why does it mean 'might' here?
When kunna is followed by að and an infinitive, it can mean 'to know how to do something', but it is also frequently used to mean 'might' or 'may' to express possibility. The context of being guilty (sekur) makes it clear that it is about a possibility, not a learned skill!
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