búið

Búið is an Icelandic word that expresses completion or readiness. In contemporary usage it functions mainly as a predicative adjective in sentences with forms of the verb to be, and as the neuter singular past participle indicating that something is finished or prepared. It is used to describe a state that has been reached, such as a project being finished or a meal being ready.

Grammatical forms and agreement: Icelandic adjectives and participles agree with the gender of the noun they describe. Búið is neuter singular; masculine form is búinn and feminine form is búin. Examples: Verkið er búið (The work is finished) with neuter subject; Maðurinn er búinn (The man is finished/ready) with masculine subject; Konan er búin (The woman is finished/ready) with feminine subject.

Common constructions: Búið often appears in simple predication: "Verkið er búið." It also occurs in the common perfect-like construction búið að + infinitive to express that something has been completed: "Verkefnið er búið að klára" or more fully, "Verkefnið er búið að klára verkefnið" (The project has been completed). In everyday speech, búið að is a widely used way to indicate completion of an action.

Interjection and usage notes: Búið can function as an interjection meaning "That’s enough" or "All done," especially in social or domestic contexts. It can be heard as a standalone exclamation such as when a host signals that meals are ready or a task is completed. The word is common in both spoken and written Icelandic, with formal and informal registers.

See also: Icelandic grammar, participles, adjectives, búinn, búin.