Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Get ég fengið kvittun, vinsamlegast?

In yes/no questions, Icelandic puts the finite verb first (verb–subject order). Statement: Ég get fengið kvittun. Question: Get ég fengið kvittun?

Why is it get … fengið instead of something like get … fá?

With geta (can), Icelandic uses the supine (neuter past participle) of the main verb, not the infinitive. So you say ég get gert, ég get séð, ég get fengið—not get gera/sjá/fá.

What form is fengið, and why is it used here?

Fengið is the supine (also the neuter past participle form) of fá (to get/receive). The supine appears after auxiliaries like hafa (in perfect tenses) and modals like geta. Hence: Ég hef fengið and Ég get fengið.

How does Má ég fá kvittun? differ from Get ég fengið kvittun?

Má ég fá…? asks for permission (“May I have…?”) and is very common and neutral.
Get ég fengið…? asks about possibility/ability (“Can I get…?”) and is also fine. A softer, extra-polite variant is Gæti ég fengið kvittun? (“Could I get a receipt?”).

Is vinsamlegast the most natural way to say “please” here?

It’s perfectly correct but can sound a bit formal or “sign-like.” In everyday speech, people often just say the request and add takk at the end: Má ég fá kvittun, takk? You’ll also see vinsamlegast on notices: Vinsamlegast ekki reykja (“Please do not smoke”).

Where can I put vinsamlegast in the sentence?

It’s flexible:

Vinsamlegast, get ég fengið kvittun?
Get ég fengið kvittun, vinsamlegast?
Má ég fá kvittun, vinsamlegast? End-position after a comma is very common.

Do I need the comma before vinsamlegast?

It’s optional and reflects a short pause in speech. You’ll see both … kvittun, vinsamlegast? and … kvittun vinsamlegast?

Do I need an article for “a receipt”? Why is it just kvittun?

Icelandic has no indefinite article. Bare kvittun already means “a receipt.” If you mean “the receipt,” use the suffixed definite form: kvittunina.

What case is kvittun here, and why doesn’t it change form?

It’s accusative singular, the case required by fá (to get). For many feminine -un nouns, nominative and accusative singular look the same, so kvittun doesn’t change here. The definite accusative would be kvittunina.

Can I say “one receipt,” like eina kvittun?

You can, but you usually don’t need to. Eina kvittun is used when you really mean “one (as opposed to more),” or “one more,” or you’re counting. In a normal request, kvittun by itself is natural.

Can I drop ég (I) like in casual English?

With má, you’ll often hear impersonal ellipsis: Má fá kvittun? That’s normal. With geta, speakers typically keep ég: Get ég fengið kvittun? (Dropping ég there is much less standard.)

How do I pronounce the sentence?

Approximate IPA: [cɛt jɛi ˈfɛŋcɪð ˈkʰvɪhtʏn ˈvɪnsamlɛɣast]

get: g before e is palatal [c], single t is unaspirated.
ég: often [jɛi] or [jɛː(ɣ)] (the final g sound may be very soft or dropped).
fengið: ng
- i gives [ŋc]; final ð is [ð].
kvittun: kv = [kʰv]; tt is preaspirated [ht] → [kʰvɪhtʏn].
vinsamlegast: g between vowels is a soft [ɣ]; stress is on the first syllable of each word.

Is kvittun the same as reikningur?

No. Kvittun is a receipt (proof of payment). Reikningur is a bill/invoice (a request for payment). You might also hear kassakvittun (cash register receipt) or strimill (till slip), but kvittun is the safe general word.

Are there shorter or more casual ways to ask?

Yes:

Má ég fá kvittun?
Fæ ég kvittun? (present of fá; common and friendly)
Just Kvittun, takk. at a counter works fine.

How could I ask for a digital receipt?

Try:

Má ég fá rafræna kvittun?
Get ég fengið kvittun í tölvupósti?
Getið þið sent mér kvittun á netfangið? (to staff, plural/formal “you”)