Questions & Answers about Settu gaffalinn á borðið.
Why is the verb settu and not setja?
Settu is the imperative singular form of the verb setja (to put / to place / to set).
- setja = the dictionary form, to put
- settu = put! when speaking to one person
So:
- Settu gaffalinn á borðið. = Put the fork on the table.
If you were speaking to more than one person, you would normally use setjið.
Why is there no word for you in the sentence?
In Icelandic, as in English imperatives, the subject you is usually left out.
Compare:
- English: Put the fork on the table.
- Icelandic: Settu gaffalinn á borðið.
The you is understood from the imperative form settu.
You do not need to say þú here.
Why does gaffalinn mean the fork? Where does the -inn come from?
Icelandic usually adds the definite article (the) to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.
So:
- gaffall = fork
- =