Question 1

Why is it Veldu? Is that an imperative, and how would it change for addressing more than one person?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Veldu is the 2nd‑person singular imperative of velja (to choose). For more than one person, use Veljið.
- To one person: Veldu á milli tveggja tilboða.
- To several people: Veljið á milli tveggja tilboða.

Question 2

What does á milli do here? Could I just use milli?

Accepted Answer

Á milli is a fixed prepositional phrase meaning “between” and it governs the genitive case. You can also use milli by itself with the genitive: Veldu milli tveggja tilboða. Both are standard; á milli is very common in modern usage, especially when you’re not naming the two items explicitly.

Question 3

Which case does á milli require, and how can I see it in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

It requires the genitive. You see that in:
- tveggja = genitive plural of “two”
- tilboða = genitive plural of tilboð (“offer”)
So á milli tveggja tilboða literally means “between two offers.”

Question 4

Why is “two” written as tveggja here and not tveir/tvö?

Accepted Answer

Because á milli/milli takes the genitive, and the genitive plural of “two” is tveggja (for all genders).
- Nominative: tveir (m.), tvær (f.), tvö (n.)
- Genitive plural (all genders): tveggja

Question 5

What form is tilboða? How does tilboð decline?

Accepted Answer

Tilboða is the genitive plural. Key forms of the neuter noun tilboð (“offer, deal”):
- Nom/Acc singular: tilboð
- Genitive singular: tilboðs
- Nom/Acc plural: tilboð
- Dative plural: tilboðum
- Genitive plural: tilboða (used here)

Question 6

How would I say “Choose between the two offers”?

Accepted Answer

Use the definite genitive plural: Veldu á milli tveggja tilboðanna. You can also say: Veldu á milli þessara tveggja tilboða (“between these two offers”).

Question 7

If I name the two specific offers, how do I write it?

Accepted Answer

Keep the genitive after á milli/milli and connect them with og: Veldu á milli tilboðs A og tilboðs B.

Question 8

Can I avoid the bare imperative and make it sound more polite?

Accepted Answer

Yes:
- Vinsamlegast veldu á milli tveggja tilboða. (“Please choose …”)
- Þú skalt velja á milli tveggja tilboða. (“You shall/should choose …”)

Question 9

How do I say “Choose one of the two offers”?

Accepted Answer

Use af + dative: Veldu eitt af tveimur tilboðum. Here af governs the dative, so you get tveimur (dat. of “two”) and tilboðum (dat. pl.). This frames it as selecting one from a set, rather than “between.”

Question 10

Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Approximate guidance:
- Veldu ≈ “VEL-tu” (Icelandic ld sounds like lt)
- á ≈ “ow” in “cow”
- milli ≈ “MIT-li” (ll sounds like a voiceless “tl”)
- tveggja ≈ “TVE-tya” (the ggj + j yields a palatal “ty” sound)
- tilboða ≈ “TIL-bo-tha” (ð like “th” in “this”)

Question 11

Is velja irregular? What are a few key forms?

Accepted Answer

It’s a common mixed verb. Useful forms:
- Present: ég vel, þú velur, hann/hún velur
- Past: ég valdi
- Supine/participle: valið
- Imperatives: veldu (sg.), veljið (pl.)

Question 12

Could I use kjósa instead of velja?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes, but kjósa leans toward “to vote/choose (formally/by preference).” For everyday instructions and UI text, velja (imperative veldu/veljið) is the default.

Question 13

Does á milli only mean “between two,” or can it mean “among”?

Accepted Answer

Primarily “between,” but with plural references it can work like “among”: á milli þeirra (“among them”). For “among” in general, meðal + genitive is also common (meðal vinanna). For exactly two, stick with á milli.

Question 14

Could I use the “pair” numeral tvenn instead of tveggja here?

Accepted Answer

No. The “pair/set” numeral (tvenn, etc.) is used for things that come in pairs or in plural‑only nouns (e.g., tvenn skór = two pairs of shoes). Tilboð is a regular countable item, so use tveggja here.

Question 15

How can I tell that tilboð is plural when it often looks the same as singular?

Accepted Answer

By endings and context. The genitive plural is tilboða (‑a), while genitive singular is tilboðs (‑s). Also, the numeral tveggja signals a plural noun.

Veldu á milli tveggja tilboða.

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Master Icelandic — from Veldu á milli tveggja tilboða to fluency