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Fyrirgefðu, má ég sitja hér?

Fyrirgefðu, má ég sitja hér?
Excuse me, may I sit here?
FromLesson 19inHardcore Icelandic
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Breakdown of Fyrirgefðu, má ég sitja hér?

ég
I
hér
here
mega
to be allowed
sitja
to sit
fyrirgefðu
excuse me

Questions & Answers about Fyrirgefðu, má ég sitja hér?

What does Fyrirgefðu mean, and when do I use it?
  • It’s the 2nd-person singular imperative of fyrirgefa “to forgive,” used idiomatically as “Excuse me” or “Sorry.”
  • To be more formal or when addressing more than one person, use Fyrirgefið or the very common Afsakið.
  • With strangers, Afsakið is a safe polite choice; Fyrirgefðu is fine and friendly to one person.
  • You normally just say Fyrirgefðu, not Fyrirgefðu mig.
Why má ég and not get ég?
  • má (að mega) = “may, be allowed to” (permission): Má ég sitja hér? = “May I sit here?”
  • get (að geta) = “can, be able to/possible” (ability/feasibility): Get ég setið hér? tends to mean “Am I able to sit here (e.g., is it feasible)?”—not the usual way to ask permission.
  • A very polite request sometimes uses conditional/permission together: Gæti ég fengið að setjast hér? (“Could I possibly sit down here?”).
Why is the verb first in Má ég sitja hér?
  • Icelandic main clauses follow a “verb-second” pattern. In yes/no questions, the finite verb comes first.
  • Statement: Ég má sitja hér. Question: Má ég sitja hér?
  • Fyrirgefðu is an interjection; after the comma, the clause starts with the verb.
Why sitja and not setjast?
  • sitja = “to sit” (being seated; a state).
  • setjast = “to sit down, take a seat” (the action of sitting down).
  • Both work in a request:
    • Má ég sitja hér? “May I (be seated) here?” (neutral, common).
    • Má ég setjast hér? “May I sit down here (now)?” (focus on the action of taking the seat).
Why is there no að before sitja?
  • After modal verbs like mega, geta, vilja, þurfa, eiga, kunna, Icelandic uses a bare infinitive. So it’s Má ég sitja, not Má ég að sitja.
How do you pronounce the sentence?
  • Rough guide: Fyrirgefðu ~ “FIR-irr-gev-thu” (ð like the th in “this”), stress on the first syllable.
  • Má ég ~ “mow yeh(g)” (á like “ow” in “now”; ég often sounds like “yeh” or “yehg”).
  • sitja ~ “SIT-ya” (j = y).
  • hér ~ “hyair” (é like “ye” in “yes”; h before front vowels is slightly breathy).
  • Icelandic words are generally stressed on the first syllable.
Can I drop ég?
  • No. Icelandic is not a “pro-drop” language. You normally must include the subject pronoun.
  • If you mean “may one…?” you can say Má maður sitja hér? (generic “one”).
What’s the formal/plural way to start?
  • Fyrirgefið, má ég sitja hér? (formal/plural “excuse me”).
  • Afsakið, má ég sitja hér? is also very common and polite to strangers.
  • The rest of the sentence stays with ég because you’re asking on your own behalf.
Is hér the only word for “here”?
  • hér = “here” (neutral/standard; common in writing and speech).
  • hérna = “here” (colloquial; very common in everyday speech): Má ég sitja hérna?
  • Related contrasts:
    • þarna = “there” (visible/nearby).
    • hingað = “(to) here” with motion; hér has no motion.
How do I say “You may sit here”?
  • To one person: Þú mátt sitja hér.
  • To more than one: Þið megið sitja hér.
  • Negative: Þú mátt ekki sitja hér. / Þið megið ekki sitja hér.
What are other natural ways to ask the same thing?
  • Er þetta sæti laust? “Is this seat free?”
  • Er í lagi að ég setjist hér? “Is it okay if I sit down here?”
  • Má ég fá að setjast hér? “May I get to sit down here?”
  • Softer/politer: Gæti ég fengið að setjast hér?
Why is there a comma after Fyrirgefðu?
  • Fyrirgefðu is an interjection. A comma separates it from the main clause. In speech, you make a small pause there.
Any case grammar to watch here?
  • Ég is nominative (subject of má).
  • sitja here takes no object.
  • hér is an adverb, so there’s no case ending on it.
  • If you bring in a noun like sæti (seat, neuter): Er þetta sæti laust? (predicate adjective agrees in neuter: laust).
How do I make the question negative?
  • Má ég ekki sitja hér? “Am I not allowed to sit here?”
  • With the “sit down” verb: Má ég ekki setjast hér?
Can I use Megi instead of Má?
  • Megi ég sitja hér? uses the present subjunctive. It sounds more formal, old-fashioned, or wish-like. In everyday speech, Má ég…? is standard.
What are the key forms of the verbs used here?
  • mega (may, be allowed): ég má, þú mátt, hann/hún/það má, við megum, þið megið, þeir/þær/þau mega.
  • sitja (to sit): present ég sit, þú situr, hann situr, við sitjum, þið sitjið, þeir sitja; past sat; past participle setið.
  • fyrirgefa (to forgive): imperative 2sg fyrirgefðu; formal/plural fyrirgefið.

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