Breakdown of Ég veit að þetta er ekki óvænt.
þetta
this
vera
to be
ég
I
ekki
not
vita
to know (a fact, information)
að
that (conjunction)
óvæntur
unexpected
Questions & Answers about Ég veit að þetta er ekki óvænt.
Why is ekki placed after the verb er in this subordinate clause?
In Icelandic, subordinate clauses starting with að (that) usually keep the exact same word order as a main clause. You still follow the Subject (þetta) + Verb (er) + Negation (ekki) pattern. This is a relief for English speakers, as it mirrors English perfectly here!
Does the prefix ó- in óvænt work just like the English prefix un-?
Why does óvænt end with a -t here instead of its dictionary form óvæntur?
Adjectives must agree with the word they describe in gender. Here, the adjective describes þetta (this), which is a neuter pronoun. Therefore, the masculine dictionary form óvæntur takes the neuter ending -t to become óvænt.
Could I use það instead of þetta in this sentence?
You could, but it would slightly change the meaning. Þetta translates specifically to 'this', pointing to a situation just discussed. If you used það, the sentence would mean 'I know that it is not unexpected' instead of 'this is not unexpected'.
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