búin

Búin is an Icelandic adjective and past participle that conveys a state of completion or readiness. It is the feminine singular form of the participle; the masculine and neuter forms are búinn and búið, respectively. The word is commonly used with the verb vera (to be) and, in combination with að + infinitive, to express that someone has just finished doing something.

Usage and meaning

Búinn/búin/búið can describe a person or a thing that is prepared, finished, or ready. It also appears in the common construction er búinn að + infinitive to indicate that someone has just completed an action. Examples: Ég er búin að lesa bókina (I have finished reading the book); Hún er búin að fara (She has gone/left). The form can stand alone predicatively as well: Maturinn er búinn (The meal is ready/done). The neuter form búið is used with neuter subjects, such as húsið er búið (the house is finished).

Morphology

The full paradigm includes búinn (masculine), búin (feminine), and búið (neuter). The choice depends on the gender of the subject or the noun being described. In compound tenses, búinn/búin/búið often appears with að to mark recent completion, or it may function without að when a state is described.

Examples

- Ég er búin að vinna allt kvöldið. (I have been working all evening / I have finished working all evening.)

- Hann er búinn að koma. (He has arrived / He is ready to come.)

- Húsið er búið. (The house is finished.)

Notes

Búin is primarily used in Icelandic, reflecting how participles agree with gender. It does not function as a standalone verb but as a participial form tied to the verb be or to a state of completion.