Breakdown of Járnsmiðurinn vinnur í smiðjunni af því að þar virðist vera heitt.
vera
to be
þar
there
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
vinna
to work (general labor, to do work)
heitur
hot
af því að
because
virðast
to seem (general impression)
járnsmiðurinn
the blacksmith (m)
smiðjan
the smithy (f)
Questions & Answers about Járnsmiðurinn vinnur í smiðjunni af því að þar virðist vera heitt.
Why is heitt in the neuter form here, even though the smithy (smiðjan) is a feminine noun?
The adjective heitt doesn't actually describe the smithy itself. This is an impersonal weather or temperature expression, much like saying 'it is hot' in English. In these constructions, Icelandic always uses the neuter singular form of the adjective.
Where is the dummy subject það in the second clause? Shouldn't it be af því að það virðist vera heitt þar?
Icelandic drops the dummy subject það when a place or time adverb like þar moves to the front of the clause. Moving þar to the front is very common and natural, and because it fills that first slot, the placeholder það is no longer needed and disappears.
Why do we use the middle voice verb virðist here instead of an active verb?
The active verb virða means 'to respect' or 'to value'. However, the middle voice form virðast means 'to seem' or 'to appear'. At the B2 level, you will often see middle voice verbs taking on completely distinct meanings from their active counterparts, rather than just being reflexive.
Why does í take the dative case here for smiðjunni?
The preposition í dictates the dative case when it describes a static position, meaning the blacksmith is stationary inside the workplace. If the sentence described movement into the smithy, í would take the accusative case instead.
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