Log inSign up

Getið þér sagt mér hvar móttakan er?

Getið þér sagt mér hvar móttakan er?
Could you (polite) tell me where the reception is?
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Icelandic now

Questions & Answers about Getið þér sagt mér hvar móttakan er?

Why does it say Getið þér instead of Geturðu?

Getið þér is the polite/formal way to say can you to one person (or to address someone formally). It uses:

  • 2nd person plural verb form: getið
  • the formal pronoun þér (used like a polite singular you)

If you’re speaking informally to one person, you’d typically say Geturðu sagt mér ...?

What exactly is getið grammatically?

getið is the present tense, 2nd person plural form of the verb geta (to be able to / can).

  • ég get = I can
  • þú getur = you (singular, informal) can
  • þér getið / þið getið = you (formal / plural) can

So Getið þér ...? literally starts with Can you (formal/plural) ...?

Why is þér used here—doesn’t þér usually mean the dative form of þú?

Yes, þér is the dative singular form of informal þú in many contexts, but it’s also used as a special formal pronoun meaning polite you. In that formal use, þér functions as the subject and pairs with plural verb forms (like getið).

So here þér is not “to you”; it’s the formal you as the subject.

Why is it sagt and not the infinitive segja?

In this very common pattern geta + segja, Icelandic normally uses sagt (the supine/past-participle form) where English uses an infinitive:

  • Geturðu sagt mér ...? = Can you tell me ...?

Even though sagt looks like a past participle, in this construction it functions as the standard verb complement after geta for this verb.

Why are both mér and þér in the sentence—what do they each do?

They have different roles:

  • þér = the (formal) subject: the person being asked (you)
  • mér = the indirect object (to me)

The verb segja commonly takes a recipient in the dative: segja einhverjum eitthvað = tell someone something, so mér is dative because it’s the person receiving the information.

Why does the word order change in hvar móttakan er compared with Hvar er móttakan?

Because hvar móttakan er is an embedded/indirect question (inside a larger sentence). In embedded questions, Icelandic typically uses subordinate clause word order, where the verb often comes after the subject:

  • Direct question: Hvar er móttakan? (Where is the reception?)
  • Indirect question: ... hvar móttakan er. (... where the reception is.)

So er moves from second position in the direct question to later position in the embedded one.

What does móttakan mean exactly, and why does it end in -an?

móttaka means reception (often the reception desk/area).
móttakan is the definite form: the reception.

The ending -an is the definite article attached to the noun (common in Icelandic). Since móttaka is a feminine noun, its nominative singular definite form is móttakan.

Why is it er (singular) and not eru (plural)?

Because móttakan is singular. The verb vera agrees with the subject:

  • móttakan er = the reception is
  • móttökurnar eru = the receptions are (plural, less likely in this context)
How would I make this less formal or more natural in everyday speech?

Common everyday options are:

  • Informal to one person: Geturðu sagt mér hvar móttakan er?
  • Extra polite (softening the request): Gætirðu sagt mér hvar móttakan er? (Could you tell me…)
  • Very common alternative: Afsakið, hvar er móttakan? (Excuse me, where is the reception?)
How is this sentence pronounced (roughly), especially Getið þér?

A rough guide (accent varies by speaker):

  • Getið ≈ GEH-thith (with Icelandic ð like a soft th in this)
  • þér ≈ thyair (with þ like th in thing)
  • sagt ends with a kt sound (often fairly crisp)
  • móttakan has a long ó (like a long “oh”)

If you want, tell me whether you’re aiming for a US/UK-style approximation or IPA, and I can give a more precise pronunciation breakdown.