Breakdown of Amma grét mikið þegar útskriftin var.
vera
to be
mikið
a lot
amman
the grandmother
gráta
to cry
Questions & Answers about Amma grét mikið þegar útskriftin var.
Why do we use þegar here instead of hvenær for "when"?
In Icelandic, hvenær is only used for asking questions. When you are connecting two parts of a sentence and stating that something happened at the same time as a past event, you must use the subordinating conjunction þegar.
Does the word þegar change the word order of the clause that follows it?
No. Because þegar is a subordinating conjunction, the clause after it keeps the standard Subject-Verb order instead of swapping them. That is why we see the subject útskriftin (the graduation) followed directly by the verb var (was).
What is the infinitive (dictionary form) of grét?
The infinitive is gráta (to cry). It is a strong verb, which means it changes its core vowel in the past tense instead of adding a regular past tense ending. The á changes to é to make the past tense form grét.
How is the word útskriftin formed?
Útskrift (graduation) is a feminine noun. To say "the graduation", you attach the feminine definite article suffix -in to the end of the word, giving us útskriftin.
Why is mikið used here to mean "a lot"?