er talinn vera
Said or Thought to Be (Er Talinn Vera)
Hann er talinn vera ríkur. (He is thought to be rich.) The subject comes first, then er + participle + infinitive.
How It Works
The pattern. subject (nominative) + vera + participle + infinitive:
- Hann er talinn vera ríkur. (He is thought to be rich.)
- Hún er sögð hafa farið. (She is said to have left.)
- Myndin er álitin vera eftir Kjarval. (The painting is believed to be by Kjarval.)
Agreement. The participle agrees with the subject, as in the passive with vera:
- telja: talinn (m), talin (f), talið (n); plural taldir, taldar, talin
- segja: sagður, sögð, sagt; plural sagðir, sagðar, sögð
- álíta: álitinn, álitin, álitið
An adjective after vera is also nominative: Hún er talin vera rík.
Now or earlier. vera is for now: Hann er talinn vera heima. For something that already happened, use hafa + supine: Eldurinn er talinn hafa kviknað út frá kerti. (The fire is thought to have started from a candle.)
Another way to say it. An impersonal passive with an að-clause means the same: Talið er að hann sé ríkur. (It is thought that he is rich.) Note the subjunctive sé. Both are common in the news, where the reporter passes on a claim without making it.
Examples (6)
- Hann er talinn vera ríkur.
He is thought to be rich.
Word by Word: He is thought be rich.
- Hún er sögð hafa farið til útlanda.
She is said to have gone abroad.
Word by Word: She is said have gone to abroad.
- Eldurinn er talinn hafa kviknað út frá kerti.
The fire is thought to have started from a candle.
Word by Word: The-fire is thought have kindled out from candle.
hafa + supine for something that already happened.
- Þau eru talin vera heil á húfi.
They are believed to be safe and sound.
Word by Word: They are thought be whole on cap.
A mixed group takes the neuter plural: talin, heil.
- Myndin er álitin vera eftir Kjarval.
The painting is believed to be by Kjarval.
Word by Word: The-picture is considered be after Kjarval.
- Talið er að hann sé ríkur.
It is thought that he is rich.
Word by Word: Thought is that he be rich.
The impersonal version with an að-clause and the subjunctive.
Common Mistakes
Not making the participle agree with a feminine subject.
Hún er talinn vera rík.Hún er talin vera rík.The participle agrees with the subject: talinn (m), talin (f), talið (n).
Keeping the accusative from the active sentence.
Hann er talinn vera ríkan.Hann er talinn vera ríkur.In the active sentence the adjective is accusative (telja hann vera ríkan). In the passive the subject is nominative, so the adjective is too: ríkur.
How It Connects
Learn This First
er talinn vera builds on object plus infinitive and the passive.
Related Patterns
- segjast / þykjastSaying or Pretending About Oneself (Hún Sagðist Vera Veik)
segjast is used when the subject says it about itself: Hún sagðist vera veik.
Level 5 - mun hafa / á að veraReported and Probable (Mun, Á Að)
mun and á að also pass on what is reported: Hann mun hafa farið.
Level 5 - Reported Speech in the Subjunctive
Talið er að takes the subjunctive, like other reported clauses.
Level 3 - virðast / sýnastSeem (Virðast, Sýnast)
virðast + infinitive is another way to say how something seems: Hún virðist vera ánægð.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice er talinn vera in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Icelandic lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
