Hættu þessari vitleysu.

Stop this nonsense.

Breakdown of Hættu þessari vitleysu.

• þessi: this
• hætta: to stop
• vitleysan: the nonsense

Questions & Answers about Hættu þessari vitleysu.

What form of the verb is hættu?

Hættu is the singular imperative of að hætta.

• að hætta = to stop, to quit
• hættu! = stop! / quit it! when speaking to one person

So in this sentence, hættu is a direct command to one person.

If you were speaking to more than one person, or using a formal/plural you, you would say:

• Hættið þessari vitleysu.

Why is there no word for you in the sentence?

In Icelandic, as in English, commands usually leave out the subject.

So:

• Hættu þessari vitleysu. = Stop this nonsense.

The you is understood automatically.

You can add þú for emphasis, but it sounds more pointed:

• Þú, hættu þessari vitleysu.

That can sound annoyed, scolding, or emotionally charged.

Why is þessari vitleysu in the dative?