Breakdown of Kannski ætla þeir að byrja núna.
þeir
they (m)
núna
now
að
to (infinitive marker)
ætla
to intend
kannski
maybe
byrja
to start
Questions & Answers about Kannski ætla þeir að byrja núna.
Why is the verb ætla before the subject þeir?
Icelandic has a strict verb-second (V2) rule. Because the sentence starts with the adverb Kannski (Maybe) in the first position, the verb ætla must take the second position. This pushes the subject þeir into the third position. You cannot say Kannski þeir ætla, even though that matches English word order!
Why do we need the word að before byrja?
The verb ætla (to intend / to be going to) requires the infinitive marker að (to) before the action verb. This is exactly like how we say 'going to start' in English. The rule for this modal construction is always: conjugated ætla + að + infinitive verb.
Does the pronoun þeir apply to any group of people?
No, þeir specifically means a group of all males. If the group was all females, it would be þær. If it was a mixed group of males and females, you would use þau.
Why is the verb form ætla here instead of ætlar?
The verb must match the plural subject þeir (they). For plural subjects, the verb ætla happens to look exactly the same as its dictionary (infinitive) form. If the subject were singular, like hann (he), it would change to Kannski ætlar hann....
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