Impersonal Passive (það var dansað)

Level 4

Það var dansað alla nóttina. (There was dancing all night.) Nobody is named, only the activity.

How It Works

Verbs without an object. dansa, hlæja, syngja, vinna, reykja:

  • Það var sungið og dansað. (There was singing and dancing.)
  • Það er unnið fram á kvöld. (People work until the evening.)

Verbs with a preposition. The preposition and its object stay where they are:

  • Það var talað um þetta á fundinum. (This was discussed at the meeting.)
  • Það er beðið eftir þér. (People are waiting for you.)

Icelandic does not make the object of a preposition into a passive subject. English He was talked about is Það var talað um hann.

Where það goes. það only keeps the verb in second place. When a time or place word comes first, það disappears: Hér er ekki reykt. Í gær var dansað fram á nótt. In a yes/no question the verb comes first and there is no það: Var dansað í veislunni? (Was there dancing at the party?)

Related patterns. For something being done right now, use það er verið að: Það er verið að byggja nýtt hús. To speak about people in general, you can also use maður: Maður reykir ekki hér.

Examples (6)

  1. Það var dansað alla nóttina.

    There was dancing all night.

    Word by Word: It was danced all the night.

  2. Það var hlegið mikið.

    People laughed a lot.

    Word by Word: It was laughed much.

  3. Hér er ekki reykt.

    There's no smoking here.

    Word by Word: Here is not smoked.

    hér comes first, so there is no það.

  4. Í gær var unnið fram á kvöld.

    Yesterday people worked until the evening.

    Word by Word: Yesterday was worked until evening.

  5. Það var talað um þetta á fundinum.

    This was discussed at the meeting.

    Word by Word: It was talked about this at the meeting.

  6. Það er beðið eftir þér.

    People are waiting for you.

    Word by Word: It is waited for you.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping það when another word comes first.

    Í gær var það dansað.
    Í gær var dansað.

    The placeholder það only fills first place. When í gær comes first, leave það out.

  • Making the object of a preposition into the subject.

    Hann var talaður um.
    Það var talað um hann.

    Icelandic does not make the object of a preposition into a passive subject. Keep um hann and use the impersonal passive.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Impersonal Passive (það var dansað)Level 4

Learn This First

The impersonal passive builds on the passive and placeholder það.

Words in This Pattern

var