verða (Become)
Become (Verða)
Hann varð reiður (He got angry). Where English uses get, become or turn for a change, Icelandic uses verða.
How It Works
verða + adjective. The adjective agrees with the subject in the nominative (see adjective agreement): Hann varð reiður. Hún varð reið. Þau urðu þreytt. Ages work the same way: Hún verður þrítug á morgun (She turns thirty tomorrow).
verða + noun. A job or role is also in the nominative, with no article: Mig langar að verða læknir (I want to become a doctor).
The perfect: orðinn. When verða means become, its perfect is usually said with vera + orðinn, which agrees with the subject: Það er orðið kalt (It has got cold). Ég er orðinn þreyttur. Hún er orðin stór (She has grown big). See vera kominn for this pattern.
Other uses.
- With a dative person, for how you feel: Mér varð kalt (I got cold), like mér er kalt.
- To happen: Það varð slys á veginum (There was an accident on the road). Here the perfect uses hafa: Það hefur orðið slys.
- verða um + accusative, to become of: Hvað varð um hann? (What happened to him?)
Do not confuse this with verða að (must), where að + infinitive follows: Ég verð að fara.
Examples (6)
- Hann varð reiður þegar hann heyrði fréttirnar.
He got angry when he heard the news.
Word by Word: He became angry when he heard the-news.
- Það er orðið kalt.
It has got cold.
Word by Word: It is become cold.
- Hún verður þrítug á morgun.
She turns thirty tomorrow.
Word by Word: She becomes thirty on morning.
- Mig langar að verða læknir.
I want to become a doctor.
Word by Word: Me(acc) longs to become doctor.
læknir stays in the nominative after verða.
- Við urðum mjög þreytt eftir gönguna.
We got very tired after the hike.
Word by Word: We became very tired after the-walk.
þreytt is the neuter plural, used for a mixed group.
- Hvað varð um gamla bílinn þinn?
What happened to your old car?
Word by Word: What became about old the-car your?
Common Mistakes
Putting the adjective after verða in the accusative.
Hann varð reiðan.Hann varð reiður.After verða the adjective describes the subject, so it is nominative like the subject: reiður.
Putting a noun after verða in the accusative.
Hún vill verða lækni.Hún vill verða læknir.What you become is in the nominative: læknir. lækni is the accusative/dative form.
Using fá for English "get" with an adjective.
Ég fékk þreyttur.Ég varð þreyttur.fá means get in the sense of receive. For get + adjective, meaning become, use verða.
How It Connects
Learn This First
verða (become) builds on verða (will be) and adjectives.
Related Patterns
- verða aðMust (Verða Að)
verða að + infinitive means must, a different use of the verb.
Level 2 - vera kominnArrived and Gone (Vera Kominn)
When verða means become, its perfect is usually vera orðinn: Það er orðið kalt.
Level 3 - Case Agreement in Predicates
Why the word after verða is in the nominative.
Level 5 - mér er kaltBeing Cold or Warm (Mér Er Kalt)
verða with a dative person for feelings: Mér varð kalt.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice verða (Become) in Bubblegum
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