Breakdown of Því er haldið fram að vandamálið sé nýtt.
vera
to be
nýr
new
vandamálið
the problem
halda því fram
to claim, to maintain
Questions & Answers about Því er haldið fram að vandamálið sé nýtt.
Why does the sentence start with Því (dative) instead of Það (nominative) if it translates to 'It is claimed'?
The phrasal verb halda fram (to claim) requires its object to be in the dative case. In Icelandic, when a verb that takes a dative object is used in the passive voice, the subject pronoun retains that dative case. Therefore, the dummy subject það becomes því.
Why is the verb sé (subjunctive) used instead of er (indicative)?
The subjunctive mood is used here to indicate reported speech. Because the sentence introduces a claim (Því er haldið fram) rather than a stated absolute fact, the verb in the following að clause must be in the subjunctive to distance the speaker from the claim.
What is the literal construction of the phrasal verb halda fram?
Literally, it translates to 'to hold forward'. In practice, it is a very common idiom meaning 'to claim', 'to assert', or 'to maintain' a specific viewpoint.
Would the word haldið change if plural things were being claimed?
No, it would not. Because this is an impersonal passive construction derived from a verb that governs the dative case, the past participle haldið is locked into its default neuter singular form. It never agrees with the object being claimed.
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