verða fyrir
Experiencing Something (Verða Fyrir)
Hann varð fyrir bíl. (He was hit by a car.) Ég varð fyrir vonbrigðum. (I was disappointed.)
How It Works
Meaning. The subject is not the doer. Something hits it or happens to it:
- verða fyrir bíl (be hit by a car)
- verða fyrir vonbrigðum (be disappointed)
- verða fyrir skemmdum (be damaged)
- verða fyrir töfum (be delayed)
- verða fyrir áhrifum frá (be influenced by)
- verða fyrir valinu (be chosen)
Always dative. The noun after fyrir is dative here: bíl, vonbrigðum, skemmdum, töfum. Many of these nouns are plural, so the ending is often -um.
Forms of verða. Ég verð, hann verður; past ég varð, við urðum; perfect ég hef orðið. See verða.
Not vera fyrir. vera fyrir means "to be in the way": Þú ert fyrir mér (You are in my way). Only verða fyrir means that something hit or happened to you.
Examples (6)
- Hann varð fyrir bíl á leiðinni heim.
He was hit by a car on the way home.
Word by Word: He became before car on the-way home.
- Ég varð fyrir miklum vonbrigðum.
I was very disappointed.
Word by Word: I became before great disappointments.
- Húsið varð fyrir skemmdum í storminum.
The house was damaged in the storm.
Word by Word: The-house became before damages in the-storm.
- Við urðum fyrir töfum á flugvellinum.
We were delayed at the airport.
Word by Word: We became before delays at the-airport.
- Hún varð fyrir valinu.
She was chosen.
Word by Word: She became before the-choice.
- Hann hefur orðið fyrir áhrifum frá móður sinni.
He has been influenced by his mother.
Word by Word: He has become before influences from mother his-own.
Common Mistakes
Using the nominative or accusative after fyrir.
Ég varð fyrir vonbrigði.Ég varð fyrir vonbrigðum.In verða fyrir the noun is always dative. vonbrigði is plural, so the dative is vonbrigðum.
Using vera instead of verða.
Hann var fyrir bíl í gær. (meant: He was hit by a car yesterday.)Hann varð fyrir bíl í gær.vera fyrir means to be in the way. To say that a car hit him, use verða fyrir.
How It Connects
Learn This First
verða fyrir builds on verða and fyrir.
Related Patterns
- The Dative (þágufall)
The case that always follows fyrir in this phrase.
Level 2 - Fixed Verb Phrases
More set phrases built from a verb, a noun and a preposition.
Level 5 - Verbs With Fixed Prepositions
Other verbs that always take the same preposition.
Level 3 - The Passive With verða
Another way to say that something happened to someone.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice verða fyrir in Bubblegum
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