Questions & Answers about Þér megið sitja þar inni.
Þér is the old/formal way to address one person politely (like German Sie). It takes plural verb agreement. In modern Icelandic, this is rare; people normally use:
- Singular informal: þú
- Plural: þið
So everyday speech would more likely say: Þú mátt sitja þar inni (1 person) or Þið megið sitja þar inni (several people).
Yes, þér (lowercase) is the dative singular of þú (e.g., Ég hjálpa þér = I help you). But in this sentence, Þér is a special nominative form used for formal address. Context tells you which function is intended:
- Object dative: Ég gef þér bók (I give you a book).
- Formal subject: Þér megið… (You may…).
Because the formal subject Þér requires the 2nd person plural verb form. Present tense of mega (may/be allowed):
- ég má
- þú mátt
- hann/hún/það má
- við megum
- þið megið
- þeir/þær/þau mega
So with Þér (formal singular), you use megið.
Modal verbs like mega take a bare infinitive without að:
- Correct: Þér megið sitja…
- Incorrect: Þér megið sitjið…
- No að: not megið að sitja.
- sitja = to be in a sitting state (stative).
- setjast = to sit down (motion into sitting). So “You may sit in there (take a seat)” could be more naturally: Þú mátt setjast þar inni.
- inni = inside/indoors (location), general.
- þar inni = “in there,” a specific inside place already known or indicated, away from both speaker and listener. If you just say …sitja inni, it means “sit indoors/inside” without pointing to a particular room.
- hér = here (near the speaker).
- þarna = there (often visible or being pointed at).
- þar = there (previously mentioned or non-deictic “that place”). So:
- hér inni = in here,
- þarna inni = in there (right there),
- þar inni = in there (that place we’re talking about).
- inn (adverb of motion): in(wards). E.g., Farðu inn = Go in.
- inni (adverb of location): inside. E.g., Ég er inni = I’m inside.
- inn í (particle + preposition): into (a specific place). E.g., Farðu inn í herbergið = Go into the room. With a stative verb like sitja, you use inni: sitja þar inni.
Yes, within limits:
- Neutral statement: Þér megið sitja þar inni.
- Question (inversion): Megið þér sitja þar inni?
- Fronting the place for emphasis: Þar inni megið þér sitja.
- Þér megið þar inni sitja is possible but sounds marked/stylized.
Place ekki after the finite verb:
- Þér megið ekki sitja þar inni. Everyday alternatives:
- Þú mátt ekki sitja þar inni.
- Þið megið ekki sitja þar inni.
Grammatically yes, but it sounds very formal/old-fashioned. More natural today:
- To one person: Þú mátt (setjast) þarna inni.
- To several: Þið megið (setjast) þarna inni.
- Polite/impersonal: Má (setjast) þarna inni? / Vinsamlegast setjist þarna inni (to a group).
- Þ (þ) = unvoiced “th” in “thin.”
- ð = voiced “th” in “this” (word-final may be weak/devoiced).
- é = like “ye” in “yes” (short): Þér ≈ “th-yer.”
- In megið, the g before i is palatalized, sounding like a y: [ME-yith].
- inni has a long/doubled n: INN-i. Stress is on the first syllable: ÞÉR megið SItja ÞAR INni.
- Má ég sitja þarna inni? (general)
- More natural if you mean “take a seat”: Má ég setjast þarna inni?
Very formal/old-fashioned:
- Accusative/Dative: yður (e.g., Ég þakka yður = I thank you).
- Genitive/Possessive: yðar (e.g., Yðar bíll = your car). These are rarely used today outside very ceremonial contexts.