Word
Hún er að hlæja mikið.
Meaning
She is laughing a lot.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Hún er að hlæja mikið.
Why do we need the word að before hlæja?
This sentence uses the vera að pattern to show an action happening right now. You take the verb vera (here as er for "is"), add að, and then use the base dictionary form of the action verb (hlæja). It works just like the "-ing" ending in English!
If er að hlæja means "is laughing", how would I say "she laughs" in general?
To talk about a general habit rather than something happening right this second, you drop the vera að part entirely. You would just use the simple present tense of the main verb: hún hlær (she laughs).
Is hlæja the dictionary form of the verb?
Yes! When using the vera að pattern for ongoing actions, the main action verb always stays in its basic dictionary form (called the infinitive). That is why we use hlæja here instead of a conjugated form.
Does the word mikið change its ending depending on who is laughing?
No, it does not. When mikið (a lot / much) is used to describe an action, it acts as an adverb and stays exactly the same no matter who is doing the laughing.