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Questions & Answers about Hurðin opnast bara.
Why use opnast with an -st ending instead of just opnar?
This is the middle voice! The base verb opna means to open something. If you used the active form and said Hurðin opnar, an Icelander would wait to hear what the door is opening. By adding the -st ending, opnast shows that the door is just opening by itself without a specific person doing it.
How is the spelling of opnast formed from the regular verb?
To make this -st form, you start with the regular present tense form for it opens, which is opnar. You always drop the final -r before adding -st, which gives you opnast.
Where is the word for the in hurðin?
In Icelandic, the word for the attaches to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word before it. The base word for a door is hurð. By adding the definite ending -in, it becomes hurðin.
What does bara add to this sentence?
Bara means just or only. Here, it emphasizes the spontaneous nature of the middle voice, showing that the door simply opens on its own. It is an extremely common word in everyday Icelandic, used much like just is in English.