Búinn

Búinn is an Icelandic adjective and participle meaning finished, done, or ready. It is commonly used to describe a state resulting from completion or preparation and appears in predicative constructions with the verb vera (to be). The phrase er búinn, for example, means “I am finished” or “I am done,” while ég er búinn að gera þetta means “I have just done this.” The form búinn is masculine singular; feminine singular is búin and neuter singular is búið. In plural forms the participle inflects to agree with the subject.

Grammatical use and forms

As a past participle, búinn agrees with the subject in gender and number when used with the verb vera. The masculine form is búinn, feminine is búin, and neuter is búið. The participle can also appear in phrases with að to express a completed action with present relevance, most notably as er búinn að + infinitive, meaning “have just…” or “have finished doing.” For example: Að kallaði mig? Ég er búinn að gleyma það. Alternatively, the fixed expression búinn að gera is widely used to indicate completion of an action.

Etymology and related forms

Búinn derives from Old Norse and is cognate with similar forms in other Scandinavian languages that convey the sense of being prepared, finished, or ready. In Icelandic, the sense of readiness or completion is central, and búinn is used in both temporary states (I am finished) and permanent outcomes (this is ready).

Usage notes

Búinn commonly appears with verbs of completion or readiness and is frequent in everyday Icelandic, including spoken and written registers. It is not interchangeable with all synonyms for “finished” or “ready,” so context guides its precise nuance. The feminine and neuter forms are used with corresponding subjects, and plural forms follow standard Icelandic agreement patterns.

See also: Icelandic grammar, participles, compound tenses.