Questions & Answers about Haustið byrjar bráðum.
Why is it haustið (the autumn) with the definite article, instead of just haust?
In Icelandic, we usually use the definite article (the -ið at the end of haustið) when talking about seasons in a general sense or as a specific upcoming event. While in English you might just say 'Autumn begins soon', Icelandic prefers 'The autumn begins soon'.
If I wanted to talk about the other seasons, how would I write them in this sentence?
You would use their definite forms just like haustið! You would say Veturinn byrjar bráðum (The winter), Vorið byrjar bráðum (The spring), or Sumarið byrjar bráðum (The summer).
Why does the verb end in -ar (byrjar) here?
Byrjar is the third-person singular form of the verb byrja (to begin). Because haustið acts as an 'it' (third-person singular), we add an -r to the verb stem byrja-, making it byrjar.
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